CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

New Opportunities Fund

Peter Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much money from the New Opportunities Fund was allocated to Burnley in each year since 1997.

Estelle Morris: The New Opportunities Fund began making grants in 1999. The awards to Burnley are shown in the table.
	
		
			 Financial year £ 
		
		
			 1997–98 — 
			 1998–99 — 
			 1999–2000 38,000 
			 2000–01 286,877 
			 2001–02 872,209 
			 2002–03 1,466,891 
			 2004–03 220,000 
			 Total 2,883,977 
		
	
	The information is derived from the Department's Lottery award database, which uses information provided by the Lottery distributors.

New Opportunities Fund

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much money from the New Opportunities Fund was allocated to Preston in each year since 1997.

Estelle Morris: The New Opportunities Fund began making grants in 1999. The awards to Preston are shown in the table.
	
		
			 Financial year £ 
		
		
			 1998–99 — 
			 1999–2000 4,378,682 
			 2000–01 558,009 
			 2001–02 3,068,323 
			 2002–03 2,500,450 
			 2004–03 1,730,044 
			 Total 12,235,508 
		
	
	The information is derived from the Department's Lottery award database, which uses information provided by the Lottery distributors.

Smithfield General Market

Alan Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will spotlist the Smithfield General Market, the adjacent fish market and Red House.

Richard Caborn: These buildings have previously been turned down for listing in 1990,1999 and 2003. However, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has asked English Heritage for further advice. She will take a decision on whether to list these buildings once this advice has been received.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Biofuels

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State forEnvironment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received from farming groups regarding biofuels.

Elliot Morley: Representations have been received, both at meetings and in correspondence, from the National Farmers Union, the Country Land and Business Association, the British Association for Biofuels and Oils, British BioGen, plant breeders, agricultural suppliers, farming consultants and other agricultural businesses.

Farm Subsidies

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessments her Department has made of the effects of her proposals for single farm payments with respect to (a) tenant farmers, (b) new entrants and (c) farmers in severely disadvantaged areas; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: Defra will publish shortly an analysis of the economic impact on the English farming industry of the decoupling of CAP direct payment and the decision to allocate entitlement on the basis set out in my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's Statements to the House on 12 February and earlier today.

Aggregates Tax

David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the environmental effects of the aggregates tax on Somerset.

Elliot Morley: The Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund was set up using revenue from the aggregates levy to address the impacts associated with aggregates extraction. Somerset is one of the three counties which receive funding direct from Defra to support projects to reduce local impacts.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she plans to take to deal with the threat of bovine tuberculosis to cattle.

Ben Bradshaw: We are currently consulting on a long-term strategy for dealing with bovine TB in Great Britain. In the short term our priority must be to prevent further spread of the disease and our consultation seeks views on various cattle-based measures designed to help us achieve this.

Coastal Protection

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with her ministerial colleagues in the Netherlands on similarities between the approaches taken in the UK and in the Netherlands to (a) the protection of the coastline, (b) the use of soft defences in coastal protection, (c) managed retreat and (d) managed realignment; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: I have had informal discussions with ministerial colleagues in the Netherlands on matters relating to coastal defences. However, officials from the two countries meet on a regular basis. Recognising the benefits to be gained by shared experiences both in respect of policy and engineering solutions, officials from the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Denmark and England agreed to meet on an annual basis more than five years ago and so formed the North Sea Coastal Managers Group. The English delegation is led by my Chief Engineer.
	Meetings of the group have proved an invaluable forum for the exchange of information on the subjects raised by the right hon. Member. However it is important to recognise that there are differences between the Netherlands and England both in terms of the geography of the coastline and the proportion of the economic wealth at risk of flooding.

Employment Agencies

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the employment agencies which her Department and its predecessors have used to supply temporary staff in each financial year since 1996–97 to the most recent date for which figures are available.

Alun Michael: Defra was formed in June 2001. The information prior to this date cannot be provided, as it is not held centrally. For the financial years for which information is available centrally the main employment agencies which the core Department has used to supply temporary staff are as follows:
	2001–2002:
	Adecco UK Ltd.
	Kelly Services UK Ltd.
	Badenoch & Clark
	FSS International Ltd.
	Spherion UK Plc
	Stopgap Ltd.
	Brook Street (UK) Ltd.
	Indigo Selection
	Hays Accountancy Personnel
	Accountancy Additions Ltd.
	Michael Page International
	Chain Solutions Ltd.
	Riverside Recruitment
	Barclay Simpson
	Adept Recruitment
	Manpower plc
	Josephine Sammons Ltd.
	Recruit Media
	Griffiths Davies Recruitment
	Lawson Bishop
	2002–2003:
	Adecco UK Ltd.
	Kelly Services UK Ltd.
	Badenoch & Clark
	FSS International Ltd.
	Stopgap Ltd.
	Brook Street (UK) Ltd.
	Indigo Selection
	Hays Accountancy Personnel
	Accountancy Additions Ltd.
	Michael Page International
	Chain Solutions Ltd.
	Riverside Recruitment
	Barclay Simpson
	Adept Recruitment
	Manpower plc
	Josephine Sammons Ltd.
	Recruit Media
	Griffiths Davies Recruitment
	Lawson Bishop
	Swantame Ltd.
	Hays Montrose
	Parker Bridge
	Ivor Morrish Associates
	Russell Thomas Associates
	FSS Financial
	Atebion Recruitment Ltd.
	Martin Ward Anderson
	Drax Interim Executive
	Cameron Kennedy
	Marks Sattin
	Manpower UK Ltd.
	IMS Ltd.
	D G Farran Consultants Ltd.
	Contact Technical Services
	Staffline
	MSB International
	Reed Staffing Services
	TMP Worldwide ER
	Blue Arrow Personnel Services Ltd.
	Big Fish Little Fish
	Reed Personnel Services plc
	First Personnel Group plc
	Office Angels
	Cathedral Secretarial Agency
	Recruitment South West Ltd.
	Premiere Labourforce Ltd.
	Execulets
	Parker IT
	Randstad Employment Bureau Ltd.
	Kellys International Ltd.
	Michael Page Ltd.
	2003–2004 (April to December):
	Adecco UK Ltd.
	Kelly Services UK Ltd.
	Badenoch & Clark
	FSS International Ltd.
	Stopgap Ltd.
	Brook Street (UK) Ltd.
	Indigo Selection
	Hays Accountancy Personnel
	Accountancy Additions Ltd.
	Michael Page International
	Chain Solutions Ltd.
	Riverside Recruitment
	Barclay Simpson
	Adept Recruitment
	Manpower plc
	Josephine Sammons Ltd.
	Recruit Media
	Griffiths Davies Recruitment
	Lawson Bishop
	Swantame Ltd.
	Hays Montrose
	Parker Bridge
	Ivor Morrish Associates
	Russell Thomas Associates
	FSS Financial
	Atebion Recruitment Ltd.
	Martin Ward Anderson
	Drax Interim Executive
	Cameron Kennedy
	Marks Sattin
	Manpower UK Ltd.
	IMS Ltd.
	Hudson Global Resources Ltd.
	Crone Corkill
	Staffline
	Big Fish Little Fish
	Blue Arrow Personnel Services Ltd.
	Cathedral Secretarial Agency
	Recruitment South West Ltd.
	Aptus Personnel Ltd.
	FSS Financial
	Excel Recruitment Ltd.
	Travail Employment Group
	Stop Gap
	Office Angels
	Spherion UK Plc
	Other agencies may have been used by local managers when business needs have required resources which could not be provided from within the Department or a quick response. Data on these agencies is not held centrally.

GM Crops

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the (a) sampling procedures used in the Chardon LL VCU trials and (b) statistical validity of the results obtained.

Elliot Morley: The sampling procedures used in the Chardon LL Value for Cultivation and Use (VCU) trials were those specified in the trials protocol and used for all maize variety VCU trials. The procedures are designed to ensure that samples used in trials are as representative as possible of the variety in general. The results of the trials for Chardon LL were reviewed by maize trials experts on the Herbage VCU Group and members of the Interdepartmental Statisticians Group, who confirmed their statistical validity.

Local Food Production

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on her Department's support for local food production.

Alun Michael: The Government recognise the benefits of local food and is keen to encourage a flourishing local food sector. In recognition of this, provision is available under the England rural development programme for   supporting activities such as the establishment of farmers' markets, the development of regional and local   branding of foodstuffs and the formation of collaborative groups to market quality products. For example, within the last year we awarded £100,256 to the National Association of Farmers' Markets to raise the profile of farmers' markets across England and to increase public awareness of them.
	Defra has also helped finance a number of local sourcing workshops organised by the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD) designed to bring together supermarkets and small local producers to explore how barriers to local sourcing can be overcome. Following on from this, we helped fund the Business in The Community (BiTC) and IGD guide for small businesses looking to work with large food retailers and food service companies—"Local Sourcing—Opening the Door for Small Business". In addition to this, our Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative is designed to encourage public sector bodies to procure their food in a manner that promotes sustainable development and to encourage more small and local businesses to compete to supply them with food.
	This work will be complemented at a regional level through the regional plans that each regional development agency (RDA) is drawing up to help deliver the Government Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food. Although the nature of this support will be determined according to regional priorities, issues to be addressed will include the production and supply of locally sourced food by encouraging food hubs and shared facilities and the linking of local producers with local retailers and tourist businesses.

Methyl Bromide

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what position Her Majesty's Government is taking over current applications to the United Nations for exemptions from the international ban on methyl bromide.

Elliot Morley: Methyl bromide is an ozone depleting substance and its production and supply are controlled under the Montreal Protocol. Its production is due to be phased out in developed countries after 31 December 2004.
	However, in recognition that alternatives for all existing methyl bromide uses may not be available by 2005 a provision was made under Decision IX/6 of the Montreal Protocol, where critical use exemptions can be requested when there are no technically and economically feasible alternatives. The UK's view is that methyl bromide is being phased out by the Protocol and should not be phased back in by excessive critical uses.
	Several Parties to the Protocol, including the UK, submitted applications for critical use exemptions and a package of exemptions was agreed at an Extraordinary Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol in Montreal (24–26 March 2004) Some further applications, including from the UK, will be due for decision by the Parties at a meeting of the Parties in November.

Parliamentary Questions

Andrew Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her best available estimate is of the cost of answering the questions on badgers and bovine TB asked by the hon. Member for North Shropshire (Mr. Paterson) in session 2003–04.

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost has been of providing answers to parliamentary questions asked by the hon. Member for North Shropshire (Mr. Paterson) on the subject of bovine TB and related matters since 2003.

Ben Bradshaw: The last estimate made of the average cost of answering a parliamentary question (April 2002) was £135.
	The hon. Member for North Shropshire (Mr. Paterson) has tabled 450 questions on badgers and bovine tuberculosis during this parliamentary session. Thus the estimated total cost involved in answering these questions is £60,750.
	This cost has been met by the diversion of resources from the development of policy and from scientific research in relation to both wildlife and to bovine TB. It has resulted in delays in responding to public correspondence and has held up work on areas such as the review of badger licensing, consultation on deer management, the review of the TB website and updating the advice to farmers in the booklet "Dealing with TB in Your Herd".

Temporary Staff/Consultants

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 9 March, Official Report, column 1391, on temporary staff, if she will list the amounts spent by her Department on (a) temporary staff and (b) consultants for each year; if she will publish the job descriptions of the consultants hired by her Department in (i) 2001–02, (ii) 2002–03 and (iii) 2003–04; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: I am sorry the answer I gave the hon. Member on 9 March, Official Report, column 1391W, incorrectly included reference to consultants and did not accurately record the expenditure on temporary staff.
	The correct figures from the Departmental accounts show payments to employment agencies for the supply of temporary staff for the three financial years as:
	2001–02: £18.01 million
	2002–03: £13.11 million, and
	2003–04: £9.62 million respectively.
	The figure for 2003–04 covers the period April to   December 2004 only. Once financial year end reconciliations are complete, I can write to the hon. Member with the expenditure for the last three months of the financial year.
	The job descriptions of the consultants hired by the Department in 2001–02, 2002–03 and 2003–04 are not held centrally and the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

UK National Seed List

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on her responsibilities relating to the inclusion of GM crops on the UK National Seed List as it applies in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland.

Elliot Morley: The Seeds (National Lists of Varieties) Regulations 2001 (SI 2001/3510) deal with the acceptance of agricultural plant varieties onto the National Lists of varieties. These Regulations apply to both conventional and GM varieties. The National Lists are United Kingdom lists.
	The National Authorities have the joint responsibility to decide whether a plant variety has met the criteria in the Regulations in order that it can be added to the relevant National List. The 'National Authorities' are defined for the purpose of the Regulations as:
	in respect of England, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs;
	in respect of Scotland, the Scottish Ministers;
	in respect of Wales, the National Assembly for Wales; and
	in respect of Northern Ireland, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Water Supply (Nitrate Pollution)

Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the reasons for changes in the level of nitrate pollution in public water supplies; and what steps are being taken to reduce levels.

Elliot Morley: Unusual meteorological conditions caused an increase in nitrate levels in 2001. Results for   2002 show a significant improvement. We are supporting water company schemes for nitrate removal in the current periodic review of water price limits, provided there is sound evidence of the likelihood of future failures.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Al Tawhid

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the activities of Al Tawhid in the United Kingdom.

David Blunkett: holding answer 19 April 2004
	Al Tawhid is a Sunni Palestinian organisation which appears to have close associations with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and al-Qaeda. Its stated aim is to overthrow the Jordanian monarchy and replace it with a fundamentalist Islamic regime. However, though it has some support here, it does not appear to be formally active in the UK.

Al-Muhajiroun

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if he will proscribe al-Muhajiroun under the anti-terrorism legislation;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on the activities of al-Muhajiroun.

David Blunkett: holding answer 19 April 2004
	Al-Muhajiroun was established in 1996 and has members throughout Britain. It originated in Pakistan and has groups in a number of countries including the US. Its stated aim is the establishment of a worldwide Islamic way of life by openly attracting popular support amongst Islamic communities.
	The list of proscribed organisations is kept under constant and active review. As a matter of policy, we do not comment on whether a particular organisation is being considered for proscription or de-proscription. Such decisions are and will continue to be taken only after the most careful consideration and on the basis of the best possible security advice. That will remain the basis for all decisions in the future.

Antisocial Behaviour

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures are in place to ensure courts give particular consideration to the impact of antisocial behaviour on victims, witnesses and the wider community.

Hazel Blears: Section 16 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 requires courts to give particular consideration to the impact of antisocial behaviour on victims, witnesses and the wider community in all nuisance-related housing possession cases.
	The Magistrates' Association implemented new sentencing guidelines on 1 January 2004, including for the first time guidelines for the offence of breach of an antisocial behaviour order (ASBO). The guidelines reflect the seriousness of the offence and direct the magistrate to consider the impact on the victim.

Antisocial Behaviour

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many areas have been designated as an area of persistent antisocial behaviour by a senior Merseyside police officer since the inception of this power.

Hazel Blears: Merseyside police tell me that three areas have been designated as areas where antisocial behaviour is a significant and persistent problem since these powers came into force.

Antisocial Behaviour

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the new antisocial behaviour prosecutor teams in the Crown Prosecution Service.

Harriet Harman: I have been asked to reply.
	My right hon. Friend the Attorney General, together with the Secretary of State for the Home Department and the Director of Public Prosecutions, will be announcing today that 12 specialist Anti-Social Behaviour Expert Prosecutors have now taken up their post in hot spot areas around the country.
	They will be dedicated to working closely with their local communities and colleagues in the Criminal Justice System, to combat antisocial behaviour, which, although at the lower end of the criminal scale of offences, are the cases which most affect law-abiding people, who remain trapped in their homes through fear of crime.
	The Home Office, Crown Prosecution Service and Department of Constitutional Affairs will be working closely together to ensure that the Anti-Social Behaviour Expert Prosecutors will achieve their objective of ensuring that the maximum benefit is derived from the new powers given to them by the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 as well as spreading best practice and providing expert advice.

Background Checks (EU)

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts regarding requirements for checks on people coming to the UK from other EU countries before they can take up positions working with children or vulnerable people.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 19 April 2004
	On 18 March 2004 the Home Office held a seminar on collecting and sharing of information on child sex offenders across Europe. The seminar provided an opportunity for policy officials from across Europe to discuss how we can improve the collection and sharing of information on those who pose a risk of sexual harm. In particular the seminar examined how member states can ensure that people who pose a risk to children do not evade any requirements or disqualifications put on them in one country by moving to another.
	We are now considering the options that arose from discussions at the seminar on how we can take this area of child protection forward.

Car Crime

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many car crimes there have been in each year since 1997; and how many resulted from the theft of car keys.

Hazel Blears: The number of thefts of and thefts from vehicles (including cars, light vans, motorbikes and mopeds) since 1997 as measured by the British Crime Survey (BCS) are provided in the table.
	
		Numbers of thefts of and thefts from vehicles 1997 to 2002–03 BCS interviews
		
			 Period Thefts of vehicles Thefts from vehicles 
		
		
			 1997 370,000 2,157,000 
			 1999 328,000 1,807,000 
			 2001–02 interviews 315,000 1,491 ,000 
			 2002–03 interviews 278,000 1,425,000 
		
	
	The BCS also provides the proportion of thefts of or from cars or light vans where entry into the vehicle involved the use of car keys (unlike for the numbers of offences above, these proportions do not include motorbikes or mopeds). The percentages from 1997 to 2001–02 are provided in the table.
	
		Proportion of thefts of and thefts from cars/vans where the method of entry was with a key -- Percentage
		
			 Period Thefts of vehicles Thefts from vehicles 
		
		
			 1997 7 4 
			 1999 8 1 
			 2001–02 interviews 12 2

Chromatography Tests

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research he has evaluated on chromatography tests for traces of explosives in human hair.

David Blunkett: A preliminary study into the recovery of explosive traces from the surface of human hair was carried out by the Forensic Explosives Laboratory, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory on behalf of the Home Office.
	Subsequent research into the analysis of explosive traces extracted from human hair was carried out and   included evaluation by gas chromatographic techniques. This work was published by Sanders et al in Science and Justice vol. 42, No. 3 (2002) pp137–142. I will send a copy to my hon. Friend.

Correctional Policy HQ Command

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the intended size of the Correctional Policy Headquarters Command is.

Paul Goggins: The size of the Home Office Correctional Policy, Prison Service and Probation Service Headquarters is being considered as part of the ongoing departmental reform exercise.

Correctional Policy HQ Command

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment has been made of the Correctional Policy Headquarters' administrative requirements; and what estimate has been made of the costs.

Paul Goggins: The Home Office Correctional Policy, Prison Service and Probation Service Headquarters administration requirements are being considered as part of the ongoing departmental reform exercise. Headquarters costs in 2004–05 will be met from within existing provision. Funding for 2005–06 onwards will be agreed as part of the current spending review.

Criminal Records Bureau

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the   Home Department what additional powers the Criminal Records Bureau would require to carry out checks on all people coming from abroad before they were able to take up positions working with children or vulnerable people.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 19 April 2004
	Part 5 of the Police Act 1997, under which the Criminal Records Bureau operates, does not empower the Bureau to search databases outside the United Kingdom for conviction and other information shown on its Disclosures. Inquiries made about arrangements in force in other countries have shown both how varied they are and how complex it would be to introduce widespread arrangements to link up with records in a range of other countries. The Bureau has taken the initiative by establishing its overseas information service for the benefit of employers who are considering recruiting staff from outside the UK. The service provides detailed information about the arrangements for checks in other countries, including where such information can be obtained, how to go about obtaining a check, the cost and the time taken. At present, this arrangement covers 16 countries, including nine in Europe, and work is in hand to extend the service to a further 15 countries, including 14 in Europe.

Guantanamo Bay

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he made of the consistency with international law of the interrogation methods deployed by the US at Guantanamo Bay before sanctioning the involvement of MI5 in that process.

David Blunkett: holding answer 22 March 2004
	The Government have a duty to protect national security. This is the context in which Security Service conducted interviews at Guantanamo Bay. All Security Service interviews were carried out in accordance with United Kingdom law.

Merseyside Police

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions a Merseyside police officer has taken a child home after 9 pm from a designated area since the inception of this power.

Hazel Blears: Merseyside police tell me that they have taken home eight unsupervised children in three specific areas since these powers came into force.

National Offender Management Service

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which not-for-profit organisations have been invited to comment on the proposed National Offender Management Service.

Paul Goggins: Reducing Crime—Changing Lives, which invites comments on the proposed National Offender Management Service, was sent to an extensive list of stakeholders and is available on the Home Office website. The National Offender Management Service Implementation Team is also engaged in an ongoing consultation with key stakeholders.

National Offender Management Service

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the   Home Department when he expects to publish legislation to introduce a National Offender Management Service; and whether he plans for it to be subject to pre-legislative scrutiny.

Paul Goggins: The National Offender Management Service will be introduced from 1 June 2004. Many of the changes needed to establish the service will not require legislation but where legislation is required this will be introduced as the legislative timetable allows.

National Offender Management Service

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which bodies his Department has consulted on the proposals for a National Offenders Management Service.

Paul Goggins: Copies of "Reducing Crime—Changing Lives", the Government's proposals for reform of the correctional services, were distributed to an extensive list of organisations, individuals and stakeholders and made available on the Home Office website. The National Offender Management Service implementation team is involved in ongoing consultation with key stakeholders.

Police

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what disciplinary measures have been taken against police officers as a result of the breach of security on the parliamentary estate on 20 March.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 19 April 2004
	In the immediate aftermath of the incident on 20 March, the Metropolitan Police Service instigated an investigation into the incident, to ensure that they had delivered theappropriate and professional response. That investigation continues, and I would not want to prejudge the outcome of that investigation.

Police

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the reasons were for the decision not to charge the officers who made racist comments while filmed by an undercover journalist for the BBC documentary "The Secret Policeman".

Hazel Blears: The Crown Prosecution Service makes the determination in all cases where criminal charges are being considered. The Crown Prosecution Service informs us that matters in respect of two of the 10 officers are the subject of further investigation. Once this investigation has been completed a file will be submitted for the Crown Prosecution Service's further consideration.
	The remaining eight officers were not prosecuted because the Crown Prosecution Service considered there was insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction.
	All 10 officers concerned were allowed to resign. Their police forces considered it in the public interest to end their relationship with the police service as quickly as possible rather than force them to remain to face police misconduct proceedings.

Police

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what change there has been in police numbers in (a) the Avon and Somerset police authority and (b) Weston-super-Mare in each year since 1997.

Hazel Blears: The increase in police numbers for the Avon and Somerset constabulary for each year since 1997 is set out in the table.
	
		
			  Police officer strength Increase decrease Percentage change 
		
		
			 31 March 1997 2,989 — — 
			 31 March 1998 2,976 -13 -0.43 
			 31 March 1999 2,999 +23 +0.77 
			 31 March 2000 2,934 -65 -2.17 
			 31 March 2001 2,960 +26 +0.89 
			 31 March 2002 3,096 +136 +4.59 
			 31 March 2003 3,149 +53 +1.71 
			 31 December 2003 3,371 +222 +7.05 
			 Overall increase — 382 +12.78 
		
	
	Weston-super-Mare is part of the North Somerset Basic Command Unit (BCU). Information on strength at BCU level is collected annually and reflects the position at the end of March. Information on BCU strength is only available from 2002.
	Between March 2002 and March 2003 police strength for the North Somerset BCU increased by 4.9 per cent. (from 203 to 213). The deployment of officers to BCUs is a matter for the Chief Constable (Stephen Pilkington QPM) and within the North Somerset BCU deployment of officers is a matter for the Divisional Commander.

Police

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the percentage change in full-time police officers in Manchester Gorton has been since 1997.

Hazel Blears: Manchester Gorton is part of the South Manchester Basic Command Unit (BCU). Information on strength at BCU level is collected annually and reflects the position at the end of March. Information on BCU strength is only available from 2002.
	Between March 2002 and March 2003 police strength for the South Manchester BCU increased by 0.8 per cent. (from 954 to 962). The deployment of officers to BCUs is a matter for the Chief Constable (Michael Todd QPM) and within the South Manchester BCU deployment of officers is a matter for the Divisional Commander.
	The number of police officers in Greater Manchester Police has increased by 848 since March 1997 to 7,770 in December 2003.

Probation

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the   Home Department what the effect has been on probation areas in England and Wales of the 2 per cent. underspend imposed in December 2003; and how many areas have appealed against the decision.

Paul Goggins: The 2 per cent. underspend and compulsory carry forward requirement was introduced for the following reasons:
	The Probation Service was heading for a forecast overspend in 2003–04 and it was necessary to reduce spending to bring expenditure back into line with budget.
	The probation areas had an average 11 per cent. increase in resources for 2003–04 and the increase for 2004–05 is much lower at 3.5 per cent. It was therefore considered desirable to smooth the annual settlements by moving 2 per cent. from 2003–04 to 2004–05, therefore making the relative financial settlements 9 per cent. and 5.5 per cent.
	28 areas have managed to carry forward the full 2 per cent. or more into their budget for 2004–05. A further eight areas have managed partial carry forwards.
	The remaining six areas have appealed against the decision to have their budgets reduced by 2 per cent.

Probation

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the reasons were for the increase of £47.2 million for Probation Headquarters in the Spring Supplementary Estimates; and how this money will be spent.

Paul Goggins: A transfer of £30.5 million was made from the Chief Executive of the National Offender Management Service to the National Probation Directorate primarily to fund Electronic Monitoring, the Standard Technical Environment for the Probation Service (STEPS) Information Technology roll-out and Probation Loan Charges.
	A further transfer of £16.7 million was made from the Criminal Justice Information Technology Group to fund the STEPS Information Technology rollout.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what new money he pledged to Afghanistan at the recent Donor Conference in Berlin.

Hilary Benn: At the Afghanistan donor conference in Berlin I announced an increase of the UK pledge to   Afghanistan from £200 million over 5 years, to £500 million over the same period.
	When DFID made the pledge of £200 million over five years in Tokyo in January 2002, this only related to DFID funds for humanitarian and reconstruction work. Since then funding for Afghanistan has become available from other parts of Whitehall, with the Global Conflict Prevention Pool establishing a programme for Afghanistan (£55 million over three years), and the formulation of a counter narcotics strategy with specific funding (£70 million over three years). Inclusion of these figures in the pledge announced allows them to now be properly recognised by the Afghan Government.
	Since the pledge took effect in March of 2002, DFID has disbursed over £150 million. The new pledge takes our reconstruction funding for Afghanistan to £375 million, this represents £175 million in new money.

EU Development Assistance

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, to promote the human rights of the indigenous people of Chaco in Bolivia; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(2)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, to defend human rights in Colombia; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(3)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, to strengthen institutional support for human rights in Mexico; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(4)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, to provide a landmine expert to Sudan; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(5)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, entitled Participation Management of National Resources in Berau in Indonesia; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(6)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, on rehabilitation and reconstruction in Afghanistan; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(7)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, entitled Second Recovery Programme in Afghanistan; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(8)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, entitled Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Peru; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(9)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, to reinforce civil society in Guatemala; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(10)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, to reinforce democracy in Venezuela; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(11)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, to reinforce the judicial system in Colombia; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(12)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, to undertake a landmine technical survey in the Inhambane and Maputo provinces of Mozambique; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(13)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, to undertake a landmine impact survey; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(14)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 effort, financed by EU Development Assistance, to deliver micro-projects in Malawi; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(15)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, to provide (a) reconstruction at Sona and (b) medical assistance in the Congo; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(16)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project financed by EU development assistance to help displaced communities to return home to Djbouti; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(17)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project financed by EU development assistance to reintegrate Ethiopians displaced from Eritrea; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(18)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project financed by EU development assistance to clear mines in Eritrea; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(19)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project financed by EU development assistance to support refugees and internally displaced people in Eritrea; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(20)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project financed by EU development assistance to provide emergency demobilisation and reintegration support in Eritrea; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(21)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project financed by EU development assistance to deliver micro projects in (a) the Central African Republic and (b) Angola; and what assessment he has made of each project;
	(22)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project financed by EU development assistance to deliver micro projects in Togo; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(23)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project financed by EU development assistance on the reintegration of ex-combatants in rural areas of Guinea Bissau; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(24)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project financed by EU development assistance to improve healthcare provision in the Congo; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(25)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project financed by EU development assistance to   deliver micro projects in the Congo; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(26)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU development assistance, to provide complementary support to the rehabilitation programme in Burundi; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(27)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU development assistance, to provide emergency support to the peace process in Angola; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(28)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU development assistance, to support displaced people in (a) Eastern and Southern Africa and (b) the Indian Ocean; and what assessment he has made of each project;
	(29)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 projects, financed by EU development assistance, entitled Education-Environmental Capacity Development Programme in (a) Ghana, (b) Namibia, (c) South Africa, (d) Mozambique and (e) Angola; and what assessment he has made of the projects;
	(30)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU development assistance, to reduce rural poverty and manage forest sustainability through development of non-timber products and community institutions in Ethiopia; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(31)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU development assistance, to deliver community-based fisheries management and coral reef restoration in (a) the Caribbean and (b) the Pacific; and what assessment he has made of the projects;
	(32)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU development assistance, to deliver sustainable forest management in Kenya; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(33)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU development assistance, to provide infrastructure technical assistance in Sempoa; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(34)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU development assistance, to provide sanitation in St.Pierre; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(35)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU development assistance, to deliver micro-projects at a cost of €7.0 million, linking relief, rehabilitation and development in the Dominican Republic; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(36)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, entitled Bugesera/Karenge drinking water supply in Rwanda; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(37)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, entitled Karasburg Sanitation in Namibia; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(38)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, to provide (a) community based natural resource management and (b) carbon management in Mozambique; and what assessment he has made of the projects;
	(39)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, entitled Beira Sanitation in Mozambique; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(40)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, to undertake social forestry in Malawi; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(41)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, to provide water supply for six towns in Lesotho; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(42)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 projects, financed by EU Development Assistance, to manage natural resources in semi-arid regions in (a) Kenya and (b) Somalia; and what assessment he has made of the projects;
	(43)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, to use a new wildlife management method in Gabon; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(44)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, to manage protected forest areas through Government NGO and civil society partnerships in Cameroon; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(45)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, to improve rural water distribution in Burkina Faso; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(46)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, to deliver a solid waste programme in the Dominican Republic; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(47)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, to provide sustainable forest management in Tanzania; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(48)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, to deliver a water sector support programme in South Africa; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(49)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, on education reform in El Salvador; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(50)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 projects, financed by EU Development Assistance, on ecology in Brazil; and what assessment he has made of the projects;
	(51)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, to strengthen the capacity of citizens in Colombia to exercise their rights; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(52)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, on human rights in Guatemala; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(53)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, on re-unification in Peru; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(54)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, on the defence and promotion of the rights of the indigenous people and those of African origin in Nicaragua; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(55)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, to counter discrimination on grounds of ethnicity in Guatemala; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(56)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, to strengthen organisational processes in 120 communities in Colombia; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(57)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, to counter racial discrimination in Paraguay; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(58)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 projects, financed by EU Development Assistance, to rehabilitate victims of torture in (a) Argentina, (b) Chile and (c) Peru; and what assessment he has made of the projects;
	(59)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, to prevent torture in Peru; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(60)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU development assistance, to provide an electoral observation mission in Ecuador; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(61)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU development assistance, to create a code of ethics and of education in Ecuador; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(62)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU development assistance, on public engagement in the electoral process in Columbia; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(63)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 micro projects, financed by EU development assistance, at a cost of €1,300,000 in (a) Colombia, (b) Guatemala and (c) Mexico; and what assessment he has made of the projects;
	(64)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU development assistance, on the reform and modernisation of public administration in Honduras; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(65)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU development assistance, on the modernisation of the administration of justice in Mexico; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(66)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU development assistance, on the development of commerce and promotion of investment in Bolivia; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(67)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU development assistance, on academic co-operation in Latin America; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(68)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU development assistance, on rural development in Nicaragua; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(69)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU development assistance, on help for small rural producers in Panama; and what assessment he has made of the project;
	(70)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, to (a) provide education in South Sudan on the banning of landmines, (b) train refugees in Tanzania in self-reliance and (c) secure demobilisation and reintegration in (i) the Great Lakes and (ii) Eritrea; and what assessment he has made of each project;
	(71)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, to (a) support the Office of the Attorney General and   (b) provide the rapid reaction mechanism to (i) Afghanistan, (ii) Indonesia, (iii) Nepal, (iv) Sri Lanka and (v) Cambodia; and what assessment he has made of each project;
	(72)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, entitled (a) Asia-Urbs (increase), (b) ASEAN-IPR (increase), (c) Asia-Europe Foundation Phase II, (d) Asia Invest II and (e) IT and C for Asia (increase); and what assessment he has made of each project;
	(73)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, entitled (a) framework contract/studies for Asia, (b) medicinal plants in Bhutan and (c) APRIS institutional strengthening at a cost of €4 million; and what assessment he has made of each project;
	(74)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, to (a) support the SME Development fund in Vietnam, (b) provide multilateral trade assistance to Cambodia and (c) provide support to the process of government reform in Pakistan; and what assessment he has made of each project;
	(75)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, entitled (a) WTO II (support to China's integration) in China and (b) small project facility in (i) Indonesia and (ii) the Philippines; and what assessment he has made of each project;
	(76)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, entitled (a) Vietnamese Government Interpreters Training Programme in Vietnam, (b) European TA programme for Vietnam (ETU2) and (c) labour market facility in Vietnam; and what assessment he has made of each project;
	(77)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, (a) to provide multilateral trade assistance to Laos, (b) on renewable energy in Nepal, (c) to develop rural towns in Bangladesh and (d) to provide support for community health services in Indonesia; and what assessment he has made of each project;
	(78)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, entitled (a) SEDF-Enterprise development in Bangladesh, (b) Reproductive Health/UNFPA II in Asia and (c) Drugs-Reach Out II in Pakistan; and what assessment he has made of each project;
	(79)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, entitled (a) Northern Pakistan Education Programme, (b) Support for Basic Education in Laos and (c) SMILING (Support to NGOs in Bangladesh); and what assessment he has made of each project;
	(80)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, (a) to provide assistance for street children in Vietnam, (b) to support healthcare reform in Thailand and (c) to deliver an HIV/AIDS project within the UN joint plan of action in Burma; and what assessment he has made of each project;
	(81)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 project, financed by EU Development Assistance, (a) to provide support to the education sector in Cambodia and (b) to provide European studies in China; and what assessment he has made of each project;
	(82)  what his Department's involvement was in the 2002 micro-projects, financed by EU Development Assistance, in (a) Zimbabwe and (b) Tanzania; and what assessment he has made of each project.

Hilary Benn: DFID has been involved in the projects, or programmes described in a number of ways. Firstly by contributing the UK's share of the European Commission budget allocated to the projects cited and secondly, wherever possible through in-country consultation with the EC office over project and programme design. DFID also attend the relevant Management Committees that approved the EC strategies and programmes under which the projects were or are being implemented. Finally, in some cases, DFID has formed part of a multi-donor in-country programme management committee that oversaw or is overseeing project implementation.
	Some of the projects cited are ongoing and an assessment will only be possible once they have been completed. The EC, through its results-orientated management system and strengthened evaluation systems, is best placed to carry out such an assessment. DFID is however often involved in, or consulted on, such assessments. Assessments carried out to date have identified both significant success and areas for improvement. DFID continues to work with the European Commission to improve the quality and impact of its development assistance.
	I refer the Hon. Member for Buckingham to the information available in the '2003 Annual Report from the European Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on the EC Development Policy and the Implementation of External Assistance 2002' and the European Commission's website http://europa.eu.int for further details about individual programmes and projects. I will place copies of the report in the Libraries of the House.

Uganda

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the efficacy of his Department's contract with the World Food Programme to distribute food to Teso in North East Uganda.

Hilary Benn: The Department for International Development has a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United Nation's World Food Programme in Uganda. The current MoU has been in place since December 2002. It clearly sets out the UK's expectations in relation to our bilateral financing, and gives the World Food Programme (WFP) obligations to fulfil.
	The WFP has the full capacity required to provide food relief in the North and East of Uganda effectively. WFP is the UN agency mandated to provide food aid in such a large-scale emergency, and the only agency on the ground equipped with the necessary staff, resources and experience necessary to respond adequately to the situation. DFID closely monitors the WFP's performance through the reports it submits directly to DFID, the monthly Humanitarian Updates it provides to the donor community as a whole, and regular discussions with WFP representatives in Kampala.

PRIME MINISTER

Committee on Standards in Public Life

Claire Ward: To ask the Prime Minister when he will announce new appointments to the Committee on Standards in Public Life; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: I am pleased to announce that I have appointed Sir Alistair Graham as Chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life in succession to Sir Nigel Wicks with effect from Monday 26 April. Sir Alistair has been a Member of the Committee since 1 October 2003.
	I have also appointed Lady Elizabeth Vallance as a Member of the Committee in succession to Sir Alistair following his appointment as Chairman.
	Both appointments have been made fully in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments' Code of Practice.
	I am very grateful to Sir Nigel for his excellent leadership of the Committee, and for the significant contribution he has made to upholding and improving standards in public life.

Food Imports

Andrew George: To ask the Prime Minister which Government Departments are responsible for ensuring that (a) EU member states' and (b) EU accession states' food imports to the UK meet the appropriate EU   (i) slaughter, (ii) production, (iii) processing, (iv)   labelling, (v) hygiene, (vi) food safety and (vii) traceability standards.

Tony Blair: It is the responsibility of the relevant authorities in each EU member state and accession state to ensure that all food is produced and exported in accordance with EU legislation. The European Commission's Food and Veterinary Office is responsible for ensuring that authorities comply with these responsibilities.
	Food coming to the UK from accession states before 1 May 2004 (and after this date for accession states not due to join the EU on 1 May) will be subject to the same import controls as food from other non-EU countries. Such food is subject to routine food safety and standards checks at UK ports by local authorities.
	The Food Standards Agency and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and its agencies are responsible for food safety and food standards in the UK. Enforcement responsibilities are delegated toenvironmental health and trading standards departments in local authorities, who carry out checks on food to ensure compliance with food safety and food hygiene standards.

Foreign Ministerial Visits

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister what his policy is on the length of time it is appropriate for Cabinet Ministers to be out of the country.

Tony Blair: Section 7 of the Ministerial Code provides guidance to Ministers making overseas visits.

Jonathan Powell

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister for what reasons Mr. Jonathan Powell has the power to direct civil servants.

Tony Blair: Jonathan Powell has executive powers under article 3(3) of the Civil Service Order in Council. He has direct responsibility for leading and co-ordinating operations across Number 10 and reports to me.

Mayor of London

John Randall: To ask the Prime Minister when he last met the Mayor of London.

Tony Blair: I have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals, including the Mayor of London. As with previous administrations, it is not my practice to provide details of all such meetings, under exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Michael Meacher

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister for what reasons the hon. Member for Oldham West and Royton left his post as Environment Minister.

Tony Blair: As has been the practice under successive administrations, all ministerial offices are at the disposal of the Prime Minister. Details of resigning Ministers have been announced on each occasion.

Ministerial Cars

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister what steps he is taking to reduce the dependency of (a) himself and (b) his Ministers on ministerial cars.

Tony Blair: Under the terms of the Ministerial Code, Ministers are required to make efficient and cost-effective arrangements, taking account of security considerations.
	All ministerial travel on official business is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in "Travel by Ministers".

Surveillance Commissioner

Tom Levitt: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the reappointment of the Surveillance Commissioner under Part III of the Police Act 1997.

Tony Blair: In accordance with Section 91 of the Police Act 1997, I have agreed to re-appoint Sir   Philip Otton as Surveillance Commissioner from 1 February 2004 to 31 January 2007. The remit of   each Surveillance Commissioner covers the whole of   the United Kingdom so that any Surveillance Commissioner can act in jurisdictions other than his own.
	The right hon. Sir Philip Otton has served as a Surveillance Commissioner since 2001. I am delighted that Sir Philip has accepted his re-appointment and am grateful for his continuing work.

Use of Government Property

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister what his policy is in respect of the use of Government property by individuals other than special advisers to carry out work for New Labour.

Tony Blair: Guidance to Ministers on the use of Government property is set out in section 6 of the Ministerial Code.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Katharine Gun

Mike Hancock: To ask the Solicitor General pursuant to her answer of 8 March 2004, Official Report, column 314W, on Katharine Gun, if the Attorney-General will place copies of the correspondence between Ministers and himself on the Katharine Gun case in the Library.

Harriet Harman: The correspondence between the Attorney-General and Ministers relates to the "Shawcross" exercise undertaken by the Attorney-General. The Attorney wrote to ministerial colleagues asking for views and any issues which may impact upon his decision whether or not it was in the public interest to consent to the prosecution of Katharine Gun for an offence under section 1 of the Official Secrets Act. The correspondence falls within exemptions 1, 2 and 4 of Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. The correspondence includes information whose disclosure would harm national security and was a consultation between Ministers where their advice and views were sought. The Attorney-General considers that to disclose this would harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion. He has concluded the harm likely to arise from disclosure of this material outweighs the public interest in making the information available. Inaddition the correspondence related to legal proceedings and therefore comes under exemption 4.
	Copies of correspondence between Ministers and the Attorney-General on the Katharine Gun case will not therefore be placed in the Library.

TRANSPORT

Buses (Merseyside)

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what incentives have been provided to upgrade buses used within the Merseyside transport system.

Tony McNulty: Under the LTP process, Merseyside's five year Plan and 10 year Strategy include significant investment in the development and promotion of bus services. Merseytravel are working with local bus operators to improve standards through the Quality Corridors initiative in the LTP. Corridor Q, for example, was launched in St Helens in March 2003, involving a package of bus priorities, new bus stops, information systems and low floor buses. Merseytravel have also encouraged operators to fit particulate filters to 140 city buses through an Energy Saving Trust supported programme to encourage lower vehicle emissions.

Congestion Charge

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for   Transport when he last met representatives of (a) Transport for London and (b) the Greater London Authority to discuss the congestion charge.

Tony McNulty: The London congestion charging scheme is the responsibility of the Mayor, not the Government. However, Ministers have regular meetings with the Mayor at which a wide range of transport matters are discussed.

Driving Test Waiting Times

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average wait for a driving test is (a) at Mill Hill test centre, (b) in London and (c) in each of the other regions of the United Kingdom; what plans he has to improve delays in giving test dates; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The Driving Standards Agency has a national target for the average annual waiting time for a practical car driving test in England, Scotland and Wales of six weeks. The current national average waiting time for a test is 9.8 weeks. The current waiting time for a practical car driving test at the Mill Hill test centre is 17 weeks. The average waiting time for a test in the London and South East area is 13.3 weeks. Waiting times for a practical car driving test vary in the other areas of Great Britain as follows:
	
		
			 Area Average waiting time (weeks) 
		
		
			 Midlands and Eastern 10.3 
			 Wales and Western 7.2 
			 Northern 9.7 
			 Scotland 4.9 
		
	
	In Northern Ireland, the Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency has a target average waiting time for a practical car driving test of 23 days. The average waiting time across test centres in Northern Ireland is currently 27 days.
	In order to reduce the current high waiting times for tests in Great Britain to the six week waiting time target, the Driving Standards Agency recruited 283 new driving examiners in the last financial year and plans to recruit a further 330 in the coming year. An extra 7.30 am test slot is being added to weekday programmes in some test centres and tests are now offered on Sundays. The agency is deploying as many driving examiners as possible from Scotland to the London and South East area to tackle the problem of high waiting times there. In the context of its Business Plan for 2004–05, I have set the agency a target to bring national waiting times down to six weeks by January 2005.

Electronic Vehicle Licensing System

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 1 April 2004, Official Report, column 1571W, on Electronic Vehicle Licensing System, when the Electronic Vehicle Licensing System will be implemented for cars over 3-years-old; and what the completion date for the full scheme is.

David Jamieson: The electronic system for vehicles over 3-years-old will require a link between DVLA and the new MOT computer system. This should be fully available by early 2006.

Green Minister

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what work his Department's Green Minister has undertaken in the last three months in that capacity;
	(2)  what meetings his Department's Green Minister   has attended in the last 12 months in that capacity;
	(3)  if he will list the meetings at which his Department has been represented on the delivery of sustainable development across Government as coordinated by the Ministerial Sub-committee of Green Ministers;
	(4)  what steps he is taking to promote the delivery of sustainable development within Government;
	(5)  what progress has been made on his Department's sustainable development strategy.

Tony McNulty: Since becoming the Department's Green Minister, I have attended a number of meetings with Defra Ministers, including the Environment Minister, Elliot Morley, during which a range of sustainable development issues of concern to both our Departments were discussed.
	I am also a member of ENV(G). It has been established practice under successive Governments not to disclose information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet Committees. This practice is now formalised by Exemption 2 of Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
	In my role as Green Minister, I have overseen thepublication of the Department's Sustainable Development Policy Statement which was published on the DfT website in March of this year. This outlines how DfT is integrating the principles of sustainable development into decision-making. It complements the Department's existing 'Green Operations Policy Statement' (also on the website), which sets out our   objectives for improving the environmental performance of the estates of the Department and its Executive Agencies.

Liverpool Airport

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to review the role of Liverpool Airport within the national airport strategy.

Tony McNulty: The White Paper The Future of Air Transport, published in December, recognised the benefits to the local economy resulting from the expansion of Liverpool Airport and supported its further growth to accommodate increased demand. It is now for the airport operator to bring forward specific development proposals. We will report progress on the policies and proposals set out in the White Paper in 2006.

Traffic Calming

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has had from the emergency services since June 2001 on the removal of (a) speed humps and (b) pinch points on the road network.

Kim Howells: The emergency services have made no requests for the removal of traffic calming measures. The London Ambulance Service has however requested that before any measures are introduced full consideration be given in order that the right balance is struck between effective traffic calming and allowing ambulances to continue with minimum hindrance.

Traffic Calming

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) factors and (b) statistics relating to road humps his Department is planning to monitor; and when monitoring will commence.

David Jamieson: The Department has conducted a number of monitoring exercises into the effects of road humps in recent years. The results of this work have been published in Traffic Advisory Leaflets and technical reports. Details of these projects are contained in Traffic Advisory Leaflet 5/01 entitled Traffic Calming Bibliography. Copies are available from the House of Commons Library. There are no plans to conduct further monitoring exercises at the present time.

Transport Services (Birkenhead)

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of new cycle lanes have been provided using public funds in Birkenhead since 1997.

Kim Howells: 4.05 miles of new cycle lanes have been constructed in Birkenhead since 1997. This includes both on-road and off-road cycle provision, and the breakdown is as follows:
	
		
			  Miles 
		
		
			 Millennium Route (part) 2.80 
			 Beaufort Road cycle route 0.69 
			 Beechwood cycle route 0.56 
			 Total 4.05

Transport Services (Birkenhead)

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of priority bus lanes have been created in Birkenhead since 1997.

Kim Howells: 0.60 miles of priority bus lanes have been created in Birkenhead since 1997. They are as follows:
	
		
			  Miles 
		
		
			 Hamilton Square 0.08 
			 Borough Road (West) 0.25 
			 Borough Road (East) 0.06 
			 Singleton Avenue 0.03 
			 A41 near Bolton Road 0.10 
			 Woodchurch Road (Prenton) 0.08 
			 Total 0.60

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Departmental Communications

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Leader of the House 
	(1)  how many staff are employed in the Office to work in the communications field, broken down by (a) Government Information and Communication Service staff and (b) other staff, broken down by (i) press officers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) others;
	(2)  what the total expenditure on communications for his Office has been in 2003–04, broken down by expenditure on (a) Government Information and Communication Service staff and (b) other staff, broken down by (i) press officers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) others.

Peter Hain: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			 Expenditure in 2003–04 £ 
		
		
			 GICs 0 
			 Press Officers (1)0 
			 Special Advisers (2)— 
			 Others (3)41,348 
		
	
	(1) My Office does not employ any GICs staff or Press Officers directly. Press Office services are provided by the Cabinet Office at no charge.
	(2) The Special Advisers' Code of Conduct sets out the sort of work a special adviser may undertake on behalf of their Minister. This includes communications activity. Details of the costs of Special Advisers are given on an annual basis. Information for the financial year 2003–04 will be published in due course.
	(3) Cost of development and hosting of a new website. This work is contracted out by this Office.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

EU (Recognition of Qualifications)

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the proposed European Directive on the mutual recognition of professional qualifications, with particular reference to the impact on the free movement of healthcare professionals; and what assessment she has made of the report adopted by the European Parliament on the Directive.

Jacqui Smith: I welcome the simplification and rationalisation of existing rules relating to professional recognition, in particular new flexibilities proposed for temporary, cross-frontier provision of services. Simpler conditions for services provision will help improve labour mobility across the European Union and contribute to the creation of a real single market in services.
	The European Commission and Council have recognised the need for controls for health professionals and I agree that prior checks of qualifications are necessary in some sectors, where human health and safety are at risk. In the case of health professionals, the UK is seeking to maintain current provisions for temporary and automatic recognition applying to doctors, dentists, general care nurses, midwives and pharmacists, and is pressing for prior checks before temporary services provision in the cases of other health professionals.
	The European Parliament has proposed a large number of amendments to the text of the draft Directive, which have yet to be incorporated by the Commission into a revised text. A re-assessment of the draft Directive will be made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education when the revised text has been presented to the Council.

Internet Fraud

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions she has had with the Home Office about combating fraud committed over the internet.

Stephen Timms: The Home Office leads on e-crime and sets a comprehensive framework of action. DTI and HO officials are in regular contact to consider the whole range of cybercrime issues and how they impact on the interests of businesses and consumers. DTI officials are represented on the Internet Crime Forum which brings together Government, law enforcement agencies and internet industry to tackle crime and foster business and public confidence in the use of the internet. The Forum is actively considering future work on internet fraud. My officials are also in regular contact with the relevant law enforcement authorities to explore how best to convey crime prevention messages and how best users may manage their systems to enable the efficient detection and investigation of on-line crime.

Miners' Compensation

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list law companies who have not responded to the request to repay amounts overcharged to miners and their widows in respect of processing miners' compensation claims; and if she will make a statement.

Nigel Griffiths: holding answer 21 April 2004
	Following is a list of solicitors who have either stated they do not intend to repay claimants, or did not respond to my letter about refunding overpayments or who have requested that they be removed from the DTI list of approved solicitors.
	As you will be aware, my letters of December 2003 and February 2004 to all firms of solicitors handling these claims asked that those who had unfairly taken a   proportion of miners' compensation to repay the money. I wrote to the Law Society asking them to take action to ensure that their members voluntarily refund any fees taken, rather than wait for miners to contact them. I also passed the names of all firms who did not reply, to the Law Society asking them to take urgent action to ensure that the firms comply with my request.
	After looking into the issue, the Law Society has concluded that such double charging is unlikely to be justified, and is 'likely to give rise to a finding of inadequate professional service'.
	List of all solicitors written to in December and/or February who have been removed from the website because they either failed to respond or asked to be removed
	Alan Curtis Solicitors
	Allan McDougall & Co. Solicitors
	Andrew P. Walker & Co. Solicitors
	Ashington Denton with Bingley Dyson & Furey
	Barber Cartain Solicitors
	Birchall Blackburn
	Bleasdale & Co.
	Brearleys Solicitors
	Brown & Lloyd Solicitors
	Bury & Walkers Solicitors
	Carter Hodge Solicitors
	Castle Sanderson Solicitors
	Clarke & Ross W.S
	Clive Ashman Solicitors
	Coleman Solicitors
	Coley & Tilley
	Cunningham Turner
	D. W. Shaw Solicitors
	DA Milligan & Co. Solicitors
	Dave Johnson
	David Handy Solicitors
	DMH
	Easthams Solicitors
	Edgar Cule & Evans Solicitors
	Edwards Abrams Doherty Solicitors
	Elsbury-Priddin Solicitors
	Emsleys
	Emsleys Solicitors
	Endlars Solicitors
	Evans & Greaves
	Everatt & Co.
	Freed Kemp Rapport
	Freeman Johnson
	G. M. Wilson Solicitors
	Gabb & Co.
	Gabb & Co.
	Gartside Harding & Davies
	Grainger Appleyard & Fleming
	Granville-West Chivers & Morgan
	Granville-West Chivers & Morgan
	Grunhut Makepeace & Duffy
	Hamilton Joseph & Co. Solicitors
	Hardesty Elleanor Solicitors
	Harris & Cartwright Solicitors
	Harrison Bundey & Co.
	Harvey Ingram Solicitors
	Hattersleys Solicitors
	Heyman & Co.
	Hickmotts Solicitors
	Holmes & Moffitt Solicitors
	Howard & Co. Solicitors
	Inghams
	Ingrams Solicitors
	Ingrams Solicitors
	J. H. Powell & Co. Solicitors
	J. N. Bell B.A. Solicitor
	J. P. Hall Solicitors
	J. Peter Davies & Partners
	Jack Thornley & Partners Solicitors
	James Pearce & Co.
	Jamiesons
	John D. Williams Solicitors
	John E. Millar & Co.
	John Hogg & Co.
	John Howell & Co. Solicitors
	John O'Neill Solicitors
	Jones-Keppe
	Kate Patterson & Co. Solicitors
	Lester Morrill Solicitors
	Lofthouse & Co. Solicitors
	Lopian Wagner Solicitors
	Lucas & Co.
	Maclaren Britain
	Maidments Solicitors
	Maidments Solicitors
	Matthew O. Byrne Law Office
	Miller Samuel & Company Solicitors
	Moseley Chapman & Kemp
	Murray, Hamilton & Chalmers
	Nimmo Thomson & McLean Solicitors
	Park Hutchison Solicitors & Notaries
	Payne Marsh & Stillwell
	Plancey & Co.
	Pollard Coutts & Co.
	Ralph & Co. Solicitors
	Richards & Lewis Solicitors
	Roger James, Clements & Partners
	Scanlan Westgarth Solicitors
	Schofields
	Sentley Wilson Bowen Solicitors
	Silverbeck Rymer Solicitors
	Silverman Livermore Solicitors
	Spicketts
	Stephensons Solicitors
	Stripes Solicitors
	Thomas & Co. Solicitors
	Thomas Eggar Church Adams.

Regulatory Impact Assessments

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions she has had with the British Chamber of Commerce on the subject of regulatory impact assessments.

Nigel Griffiths: I meet Mr. David Frost, the Director General of BCC regularly, most recently at the BCC Conference on 21 April where I took part in a panel discussion on RIAs. I understand the BCC welcomes the Government's work on RIAs.

Renewable Energy

Angela Watkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress her Department is making on promoting the environmental benefits of renewable energy.

Stephen Timms: I launched the "It's only natural" campaign in February. This will initially target key decision makers in the financial and planning sectors to ensure that they are equipped with the best information for making decisions regarding renewable energy. The campaign will continue to the end of March 2005 and there is a £2 million budget for the project.

Royal Mail

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent assessment she has made of the operational efficiency of Royal Mail; what action she is taking to improve the standards of delivery of domestic mail; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The assessment of the operational efficiency of Royal Mail and any action to be taken to improve the standards of delivery of domestic mail is a matter for the postal regulator, Postcomm.

Small Businesses (Tynemouth)

Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent action her Department has taken to support small businesses in Tynemouth constituency.

Nigel Griffiths: In his budget statement my right hon. Friend the Chancellor announced a number of steps to help small businesses including an increase of capital allowances to 50 per cent. and raising VAT registration threshold to 58 per cent. all of which helps Small Businesses in Tynemouth.
	The Chancellor also announced that the Employer Training Pilot, which has been running in Tyne and Wear for the last year, would be rolled out and made available to businesses throughout the North East. This helps businesses to improve the skills of their workforce by providing training tailored to their needs. The programme not only offers free tailored advice on training but also the unique prospect of subsidised training and wage compensation to employers for the time workers are away from work—traditionally one of the biggest barriers to training in smaller companies.
	The core funding provided to Business Link Tyne and Wear, has provided a foundation on which the Business Link has sourced additional funding projected at £14.5 million for the benefit of businesses in Tyne and Wear, for the year 2004–05.
	Around £3.5 million of this is available, including a   subsidy of up to 50 per cent. for management development training and upskilling the workforce to SME's across Tyne and Wear.
	Businesses can also benefit from a range of Workforce Development services to help SMEs achieve the Investors in People Standard and develop their workforce. One business based in Tynemouth, received 50 per cent. subsidy to help them towards paying their Investors in People assessment fees. SMEs with between 5 and 49 employees are also eligible for additional funding towards helping them to reach the standard. In the past, financial subsidies towards consultancy costs were only available to businesses over 36 months old, and these were restricted to specific projects. Now, a subsidy of up to 45 per cent. can be accessed by businesses of any age or size towards the cost of any business related consultancy. Around £4 million is available for this purpose.
	Local SMEs can also benefit from up to 45 per cent. funding towards the cost of exhibition space and the design build and dressing of a stand. In conjunction with this, Business Link Tyne and Wear have held three 'Meet the Buyer' events over the last two years as a means for local SMEs to meet buyers from both within and beyond the region, offering SME's the opportunity to become integral cogs in supply chains.
	Business Link Tyne and Wear has helped a number of businesses in the Tynemouth area to access financial assistance, one such SME received a 45 per cent. subsidy to help them to develop their website. They also went on to receive an additional 50 per cent. subsidy towards the cost of training, to enable staff to update the website once developed.
	In addition, a restaurant in Tynemouth, received 50 per cent. funding towards Management Development training, they also had consultancy assistance, to help them to develop a marketing strategy.
	Unsecured loans of up to £15,000 are also available to businesses in the North East that have had difficulty accessing finance elsewhere. Businesses must work with a mentor and repay the loan within five years.
	Over the past 15 months Business Link has received 660 inquiries from existing businesses and people looking to start their own business in North Tyneside. Of these, 43 existing, and 22 start up inquiries were from Tynemouth. 670 businesses have started in North Tyneside. They are offered an independent service of one-to-one 'counselling' and given intensive advice on business planning, marketing and finance.
	An adviser from Business Link and North Tyneside Council's advisers work side by side at North Tyneside Council's premises in North Shields to provide advice and support to businesses based in North Tyneside, including Tynemouth. In addition, an adviser is based in Tynemouth and North Tyneside Colleges two days a week to offer advice to anyone that is looking to start or already running a business.
	Tyne and Wear Small Business Fund, through the Regional Development Agency's Single Programme Funding, (Managed by Tyne and Wear Development Company and delivered by each local authority) is a 50 per cent. Capital Equipment Grant of between £500 and £2,500 available to pre-start and new businesses—up to 12 months old.
	The Regional Service for Clustering (RSC), also funded by the Dti, through the RDA, helps groups of SME's collaborate support across Tyne and Wear—this project is based in North Tyneside.
	North Tyneside Council also provides free business advice and guidance to all businesses setting up in North Tyneside.

Steel

George Foulkes: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade   and Industry if she will make a statement on the   supply of steel in the UK for manufacturing industries.

Jacqui Smith: Global steel prices have risen sharply in recent months as a result of rising input costs and market demand. This is causing difficulties for certain steel using industries where they have limited scope for passing on the increased cost to customers. There have been reports of tightness in the steel supply market, with imports to the EU reduced, but I understand that all types of steel remain available, although prices are high. There is no shortage of supply from UK steel producers.

Textiles

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people were employed in the textile industry in 1997; and how many are employed in it now.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is as follows:
	
		thousands
		
			  Employee jobs in textile and clothing industries (SIC 17–18) 
		
		
			 June 1997 347 
			 June 2003 180 
			 December 2003 171 
		
	
	Source:
	Office for National Statistics Annual Business Inquiry and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment Northern Ireland Quarterly Employment Survey.
	Employee jobs in local units of Standard Industrial Classification division 17 (textiles) and division 18 (clothing).

Wind Energy

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the cost is per kilowatt hour of electricity generated by (a) offshore wind and (b) onshore wind; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: Modelling carried out to support the recent Innovation Review puts the current estimated cost of onshore wind generation at 3.1–4 p/kWh expected to fall to W2.5–3.2 p/kWh by 2020 and offshore wind generation at 6.0–7.6 p/kWh expected to fall to W3.0–4.6 p/kWh by 2020.

Wind Energy

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the environmental impact of wind farms.

Stephen Timms: The Energy White Paper published in February 2003 set out the Government's energy policy to tackle the crucial environmental challenge of climate change. The challenge we face is to reduce the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, one of the main causes of climate change, which have risen by more than a third since the industrial revolution and are now rising faster than at any time in the past.
	The Government has set the target of obtaining 10 per cent. of our electricity from renewable sources by 2010, with the aspiration of doubling this by 2020.
	Renewable energy will make an important contribution to the Government's wider climate change programme. It is estimated that increased renewable energy generation, to meet the 2010 target, will deliver additional carbon savings of some 2.5 million tonnes of carbon per year by 2010, and that doubling this by 2020 would achieve further cuts of some 3 to 5 million tonnes of carbon per year above that by 2020. Wind power is expected to make the largest contribution of between 7 and 8 per cent. towards the 2010 renewable electricity generation target and the positive environmental impact that will make.
	Under the normal planning regime and for consent under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 or the Transport and Works Act 1992 wind farm developers are required to consider all environmental aspects of wind energy projects and produce an Environmental Impact Assessment. These assessments are available to the public.

Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with the IT industry about the recommendations of the industry forum for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, commonly referred to as Wi-Max, is a North American based industry initiative to promote open interoperability between products designed for broadband wireless access. We welcome efforts to improve standards of interoperability between vendor products through industry initiatives. The Department participates in several fora where these standards are generated and used. My officials have discussed the initiative in regular meetings with companies concerned in this sector. Use of wireless relies on availability of essential spectrum, which in the UK is now the responsibility of the new independent regulator for communications—Ofcom. Accordingly, my officials have asked the Chief Executive of Ofcom to respond to my hon. Friend. Copies of the Chief Executive's letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

HEALTH

Allergies

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the extent of Government research and development programmes on allergies.

Stephen Ladyman: Details of research projects relating to allergies funded by, or of interest to, the national health service are recorded on the National Research Register (NRR) at www.update-software.com/national. The NRR currently contains details of over 100 on-going projects in this area, as well as a larger number of completed projects. Much of this work is funded through allocations made annually to NHS providers for research and development to meet the priorities and needs of the NHS and to meet the costs to the NHS of hosting research supported by external funders. The total amount allocated to NHS providers in 2003–04 for   research and development was £442 million. In addition, the Department is funding research on air pollution and asthma under its policy research programme.
	In 2001–02, expenditure by the Medical Research Council on its respiratory disorders portfolio was an estimated £11.9 million, which included work on allergies and asthma.
	The Food Standards Agency funds research on food allergy and intolerance, with particular emphasis on severe allergies, how they occur and what causes them. A large programme of research on food intolerance and allergy, costing around £1 million a year is ongoing.

Consultants

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital consultants retired in the last quarter of (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04.

John Hutton: Retirement data in the format requested and figures for 2003–04 are not available. The number of consultants in England and Wales, who received a pension from the National Health Service Pension Scheme in the year to 31 March 2003, is shown as follows:
	1 April 2002 to 31 March 2003
	Consultant Pension Awards: 451
	Pension scheme records are continually, and retrospectively, being updated to reflect further membership activity and revised data. This data extract therefore represents a snapshot in time as at August 2003.

Dementia

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what data collection systems are in place to record the (a) number and (b) costs of drugs for dementia supplied to acute and mental health trusts;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to ensure that accurate out-turn figures are available for the (a) number and (b) costs of drugs for dementia supplied to acute and mental health trusts;
	(3)  if he will discuss with acute and mental health trusts the provision of systems to ensure accurate out-turn figures for the (a) number and (b) costs of drugs for dementia supplied to acute and mental health trusts.

Stephen Ladyman: In 2002–03 national health service trusts in England spent £1,942.8 million on the purchase of medicines, including medical gases. Detail of the break down of this figure into different therapeutic classes of medicines is not available.
	The national programme for information technology is charged with delivering the IT strategy for the NHS. Details were set out in "Delivering 21st Century IT Support for the NHS". The implementation of this national IT strategy will enable the collection and analysis of more detailed information on the use of medicines by the NHS.

Foundation Trusts

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what statistics will be available centrally from his Department on NHS foundation trusts.

John Hutton: The Department will continue to publish statistics on the performance of the national health service as a whole. This will include information on services commissioned by primary care trusts and provided by NHS trusts, NHS foundation trusts, diagnosis and treatment centres and independent sector providers.

General Practitioners

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioners there were per head of population in (a) England and (b) each strategic health authority in each year since 1997.

John Hutton: Information on the number of general practitioners (excluding retainers) per 100,000 population in England and in each strategic health authority (SHA) since 1997 is shown in the table.
	The Office for National Statistics has not yet published 2003 population data by SHA. Therefore, information for 2003 has only been provided on a national level.
	
		All General Medical Practitioners(4) (excluding GP Retainers) per 100,000 of the population by Strategic Health Authority: 1997–2003, England -- Number (headcount)
		
			  1997 1998 1999 
			  All practitioners (excl. Ret) All practitioners (excl. Ret) per 100,000 population All practitioners (excl. Ret) All practitioners (excl. Ret) per 100,000 population All practitioners (excl. Ret) All practitioners (excl. Ret) per 100,000 population 
		
		
			 England total 29,389 60 29,697 61 29,987 61 
			
			 North East total 1,485 58 1,506 59 1,520 60 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley 649 57 650 57 656 58 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 836 59 856 61 864 62 
			
			 North West total 4,040 59 4,044 60 4,124 61 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside 1,421 60 1,413 60 1,456 62 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire 1,134 60 1,147 60 1,158 61 
			 Greater Manchester 1,485 59 1,484 59 1,510 60 
			
			 Yorkshire and the Humber total 3,021 61 3,028 61 3,092 63 
			 North and East Yorkshire and   Northern Lincolnshire 999 62 991 62 1,011 63 
			 South Yorkshire 758 59 758 59 772 61 
			 West Yorkshire 1,264 61 1,279 62 1,309 63 
			
			 East Midlands total 2,338 57 2,361 58 2,369 58 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire   and Rutland 908 60 902 59 898 58 
			 Trent 1,430 56 1,459 57 1,471 57 
			
			 West Midlands total 3,026 58 3,057 58 3,093 59 
			 Birmingham and The Black   Country 1,327 58 1,343 59 1,357 60 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire 792 54 813 55 830 56 
			 West Midlands South 907 60 901 60 906 60 
			
			 East of England total 3,080 58 3,141 59 3,156 59 
			 Bedford and Hertfordshire 915 59 944 60 948 60 
			 Essex 849 54 862 54 860 54 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and   Cambridgeshire 1,316 62 1,335 62 1,348 62 
			
			 London total 4,532 65 4,515 65 4,496 64 
			 North Central London 788 69 802 70 786 68 
			 North East London 888 62 896 62 894 61 
			 North West London 1,209 73 1,188 71 1.134 67 
			 South East London 868 60 862 59 901 61 
			 South West London 779 62 767 61 781 62 
			
			 South East total 4,682 60 4,788 61 4,830 61 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 1,060 61 1,070 61 1,089 62 
			 Kent and Medway 904 58 916 59 918 59 
			 Surrey and Sussex 1,486 59 1,518 60 1,522 60 
			 Thames Valley 1,232 60 1,284 62 1,301 63 
			
			 South West total 3,185 66 3,257 67 3,307 68 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and   Wiltshire 1,325 63 1,374 65 1,404 65 
			 Somerset and Dorset 794 68 820 70 843 72 
			 South West Peninsula 1,066 69 1,063 69 1,060 68 
		
	
	
		Number (headcount)
		
			  2000 2001 
			  All practitioners (excl. Ret) All practitioners (excl. Ret) per 100,000 population All practitioners (excl. Ret) All practitioners (excl. Ret) per 100,000 population 
		
		
			 England total 30,252 62 30,685 62 
			 North East total 1,536 61 1,603 64 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley 661 58 696 61 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 875 63 907 65 
			  
			 North West total 4,134 61 4,174 62 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside 1,459 62 1,481 63 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire 1,152 61 1,174 62 
			 Greater Manchester 1,523 60 1,519 60 
			  
			 Yorkshire and the Humber total 3,123 63 3,192 64 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire 1,021 63 1,039 64 
			 South Yorkshire 778 61 794 63 
			 West Yorkshire 1,324 64 1.359 65 
			  
			 East Midlands total 2,384 58 2,437 58 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland 877 57 894 57 
			 Trent 1,507 58 1,543 59 
			  
			 West Midlands total 3,142 60 3,157 60 
			 Birmingham and The Black Country 1,380 61 1,391 61 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire 838 56 825 55 
			 West Midlands South 924 61 941 62 
			  
			 East of England total 3,183 59 3,204 59 
			 Bedford and Hertfordshire 955 60 965 60 
			 Essex 857 53 851 53 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 1,371 63 1,388 64 
			  
			 London total 4,548 64 4,545 62 
			 North Central London 819 70 804 67 
			 North East London 925 62 899 59 
			 North West London 1,125 66 1,150 65 
			 South East London 886 60 904 60 
			 South West London 793 62 788 61 
			  
			 South East total 4,839 61 4,943 62 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 1,099 62 1,122 63 
			 Kent and Medway 901 57 915 58 
			 Surrey and Sussex 1,531 60 1,571 61 
			 Thames Valley 1,308 63 1,335 64 
			  
			 South West total 3,363 69 3,430 69 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 1,424 66 1,442 67 
			 Somerset and Dorset 846 71 867 73 
			 South West Peninsula 1,093 70 1,121 71 
		
	
	
		Number (headcount)
		
			  2002 2003 
			  All practitioners (excl. Ret) All practitioners (excl. Ret) per 100,000 population All practitioners (excl. Ret) All practitioners (excl. Ret) per 100,000 population 
		
		
			 England total 31,182 63 32,593 66 
			  
			 North East total 1,645 65 n/a n/a 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley 701 62 n/a n/a 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 944 68 n/a n/a 
			  
			 North West total 4,247 63 n/a n/a 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside 1,536 65 n/a n/a 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire 1,200 63 n/a n/a 
			 Greater Manchester 1,511 60 n/a n/a 
			 Yorkshire and the Number total 3,253 65 n/a n/a 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire 1,065 65 n/a n/a 
			 South Yorkshire 808 64 n/a n/a 
			 West Yorkshire 1,380 66 n/a n/a 
			  
			 East Midlands total 2,466 58 n/a n/a 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland 910 58 n/a n/a 
			 Trent 1,556 59 n/a n/a 
			  
			 West Midlands total 3,255 61 n/a n/a 
			 Birmingham and The Black Country 1,428 63 n/a n/a 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire 861 58 n/a n/a 
			 West Midlands South 966 63 n/a n/a 
			  
			 East of England total 3,223 59 n/a n/a 
			 Bedford and Hertfordshire 976 61 n/a n/a 
			 Essex 846 52 n/a n/a 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 1,401 64 n/a n/a 
			  
			 London total 4,609 63 n/a n/a 
			 North Central London 806 66 n/a n/a 
			 North East London 945 61 n/a n/a 
			 North West London 1,139 64 n/a n/a 
			 South East London 902 60 n/a n/a 
			 South West London 817 63 n/a n/a 
			  
			 South East total 5,017 62 n/a n/a 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 1,112 62 n/a n/a 
			 Kent and Medway 911 57 n/a n/a 
			 Surrey and Sussex 1,587 62 n/a n/a 
			 Thames Valley 1,407 67 n/a n/a 
			  
			 South West total 3,467 70 n/a n/a 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 1,460 67 n/a n/a 
			 Somerset and Dorset 895 75 n/a n/a 
			 South West Peninsula 1,112 70 n/a n/a 
		
	
	n/a = Not available
	(4) All Practitioners (excluding GP Retainers) includes GMS Unrestricted Principals, PMS Contracted GPs, PMS Salaried GPs, Restricted Principals, Assistants, GP Registrars, Salaried Doctors (Para 52 SFA), PMS Other, Flexible Career Schemes and GP Returners.
	SHA population figures are derived from the 1992–2000 first revised sub national population estimates published by ONS 27 February 2003 and so are not consistent with the interim revised national population estimates for 1992 2002 published by ONS 23 October 2003.
	Data have been converted to match Strategic Health Authority structures for 2002.
	Data as at 1 October 1997–99,30 September 2000–03.
	Sources:
	Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics
	2001 ONS Population Census.

General Practitioners

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many whole time equivalent general practitioners there were in (a) England and (b) each strategic health authority in each year from September 1997 to September 2003.

John Hutton: Information on the number of whole time equivalent (wte) general practitioners (GPs) (excluding retainers) in England and in each strategic health authority in each year since 1997 is shown in the table.
	
		All practitioners (excluding GP retainers)(5) by strategic health authority boundaries: 1997 to 2003 -- estimated whole time equivalents
		
			  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 March 2002 2002 March 2003 2003 
		
		
			 England 27,660 27,848 28,033 28,154 28,439 28,540 28,740 29,180 29,777 
			   
			 North East 1,402 1,418 1,426 1,434 1,488 1,494 1,523 1,542 1,602 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 782 802 807 812 836 852 866 855 890 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley 620 617 619 622 652 642 657 688 712 
			   
			 North West 3,834 3,822 3,880 3,874 3,903 3,923 3,943 4,002 4,058 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire 1,079 1,083 1,090 1,079 1,093 1,107 1,103 1,116 1,128 
			 Greater Manchester 1,409 1,404 1,420 1,424 1,422 1,422 1,409 1,444 1,459 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside 1,346 1,335 1,370 1,371 1,388 1,395 1,430 1,442 1,471 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 2,848 2,843 2,892 2,911 2,950 2,979 2,988 3,037 3,131 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire 944 934 951 959 968 985 989 998 1,037 
			 West Yorkshire 1,188 1,198 1,221 1,227 1.248 1,266 1,257 1,298 1,327 
			 South Yorkshire 716 711 720 725 734 728 742 741 767 
			   
			 East Midlands 2,220 2,233 2,227 2,225 2,261 2,236 2,275 2,311 2,357 
			 Trent 1,363 1,382 1,386 1,408 1,434 1,405 1,439 1,462 1,472 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland 857 851 841 817 827 831 836 849 886 
			   
			 West Midlands 2,877 2,901 2,920 2,959 2,962 3,001 3,034 3,051 3,122 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire 757 776 787 792 779 781 806 818 833 
			 Birmingham and The Black Country 1,261 1,272 1,279 1,299 1,305 1,317 1,330 1,323 1,371 
			 West Midlands South 859 853 853 869 878 903 898 910 918 
			   
			 East of England 2,901 2,955 2,963 2,979 2,987 2,997 2,991 3,040 3,134 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 1,227 1,243 1,250 1,268 1,276 1,276 1,277 1,297 1,346 
			 Bedford and Hertfordshire 869 892 894 897 906 906 914 918 938 
			 Essex 805 819 819 814 805 814 800 826 849 
			   
			 London 4,225 4,212 4,198 4,217 4,212 4,229 4,288 4,398 4,490 
			 North West London 1,107 1,097 1,055 1,044 1,064 1,043 1,056 1,085 1,087 
			 North Central London 738 741 727 748 746 755 759 760 797 
			 North East London 835 845 844 866 841 859 888 919 913 
			 South East London 814 810 840 825 833 820 830 872 893 
			 South West London 731 720 732 735 727 752 755 762 799 
			   
			 South East 4,410 4,482 4,512 4.507 4,579 4,602 4,608 4,670 4,711 
			 Thames Valley 1,145 1,186 1,198 1,202 1,218 1,236 1,268 1,273 1,279 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 996 999 1,014 1,017 1,037 1,041 1,022 1,047 1,080 
			 Kent and Medway 860 867 868 853 860 855 854 863 868 
			 Surrey and Sussex 1,410 1,430 1,432 1,435 1,464 1,469 1,464 1,487 1,485 
			   
			 South West 2,942 2,981 3,014 3,048 3,097 3,079 3,091 3,128 3,172 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 1,225 1,257 1,281 1,289 1,301 1,300 1,302 1,316 1,338 
			 South West Peninsula 990 981 972 1,000 1,025 1,012 1,006 1,039 1,040 
			 Somerset and Dorset 727 744 761 759 771 768 783 773 794 
		
	
	(5) All practitioners (excluding GP retainers) includes GMS unrestricted principals, PMS contracted GPs, PMS salaried GPs, restricted principals, assistants, GP registrars, salaried doctors (Para 52 SFA), PMS other, flexible career scheme GPs and GP returners.
	Notes:
	1. Data as at 1 October 1997–99, 30 September 2000–03, 31 March 2002–03.
	2. WTE data has been estimated using the results from the 1992–93 GMP Workload Survey; Full time—1.00 wte; three quarter time—0.69 wte; job share—0.65 wte; half time—0.60 wte.
	Source:
	Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics

NHS Staff

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost of (a) medical and dental staff and (b) administration and estates staff was in each year from 1997–98 to 2002–03 (i) in cash terms and (ii) as a proportion of total NHS expenditure.

John Hutton: Table 1 shows expenditure on medical and dental staff in cash terms in England, for financial years 1997–98 to 2002–03.
	Table 2 shows expenditure on administrative and estates staff in cash terms in England, for financial years 1997–98 to 2002–03.
	Table 3 shows expenditure on medical and dental staff as a proportion of total national health service expenditure, for financial years 1997–98 to 2002–03.
	Table 4 shows expenditure on administrative and estates staff as a proportion of total NHS expenditure, for financial years 1997–98 to 2002–3.
	
		Table 1: Hospital and community health services expenditure on medical and dental staff in England 1997–98 to 2002–03 -- £
		
			  Total expenditure 
		
		
			 1997–98 3,021,917,492 
			 1998–99 3,300,976,457 
			 1999–2000 3,664,710,847 
			 2000–01 4,,138,320,465 
			 2001–02 4,790,866,706 
			 2002–03 5,445,120,598 
		
	
	
		Table 2: Hospital and community health services expenditure on administration and estates staff in England 1997–98 to 2002–03 -- £
		
			  Total expenditure 
		
		
			 1997–98 2,962,032,067 
			 1998–99 3,122,153,228 
			 1999–2000 3,368,608,095 
			 2000–01 3,705,851,155 
			 2001–02 4,175,084,314 
			 2002–03 4,710,704,403 
		
	
	
		Table 3: Hospital and community health services expenditure on medical and dental staff in England 1997–98 to 2002–03 as a proportion of total net NHS expenditure (England)
		
			  Percentage of total expenditure 
		
		
			 1997–98 8.72 
			 1998–99 9.02 
			 1999–2000 9.19 
			 2000–01 9.42 
			 2001–02 9.72 
			 2002–03 10.02 
		
	
	
		Table 4: Hospital and community health services expenditure on administration and estates staff in England 1997–98 to 2002–03 as a proportion of total net NHS expenditure (England)
		
			  Percentage of total expenditure 
		
		
			 1997–98 8.54 
			 1998–99 8.53 
			 1999–2000 8.45 
			 2000–01 8.43 
			 2001–02 8.47 
			 2002–03 8.67 
		
	
	Sources:
	Expenditure on administration and estates staff:
	Annual financial returns of NHS trusts 1997–98 to 2002–03
	Annual financial returns of health authorities 1997–98 to 2001–02
	Annual financial returns of strategic health authorities 2002–03
	Annual financial returns of primary care trusts 2000–01 to 2002–03
	Total expenditure:
	From 1997–98 to 1999–2000—Departmental Report 2001 (Cm 5103)
	From 2000–01 to 2002–03—Departmental Report 2003 (Cm 5904).

Nursing

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  for what reason his Department ceased in October 2001 to collect data on the proportion of student nurses who successfully complete courses in (a) general nursing, (b) paediatric nursing, (c) midwifery and (d) psychiatric nursing;
	(2)  what targets his Department has for reducing the attrition rate among student nurses;
	(3)  what targets his Department set in March 2001 for reducing the attrition rate among student nurses.

John Hutton: The English National Board for Nursing (ENB) collected information on the attrition rate from nursing and midwifery courses until its abolition in March 2002 with the creation of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). A new attrition data collection system administered by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) has been put in place, from which the information will be available in due course. A single and consistent definition of attrition has also been agreed with higher education institutions.
	The latest complete information on attrition from nurse training courses relates to the 1997–98 cohort and averaged 20 per cent. across all branches. The human resources performance framework, published in October 2000, set a target of 13 per cent. attrition for students entering nurse training in 2000–01. Workforce development confederations and strategic health authorities are working with higher education institutions to meet this target locally.

Postcode Prescribing

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to tackle the large local variations in the availability of chemotherapy and other systemic therapies across England identified by the National Audit Office in its report on cancer services.

Melanie Johnson: I refer the hon. Member to the response I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Norwich, North (Dr. Gibson) on 19 April 2004, Official Report, column 173W.

Primary Care Trusts

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will undertake a review of the funding allocation for the Buckinghamshire primary care trusts before 2006.

John Hutton: Work on the next round of funding allocations, covering the period up to 2007–08, has already commenced. The Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation will oversee issues relating to the next round of funding allocations. The development of the allocations policy will involve consideration of funding for all primary care trusts.

Social Services Departments

Ann Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many social services departments do not have an intervenor service for deafblind children.

Stephen Ladyman: holding answer 21 April 2004
	Guidance published by the Department in 2001 required local authorities to ensure the provision of specifically trained one-to-one support workers for deafblind people assessed as needing one. The 2001 guidance refers to intervenor services as one form of support. Sense, the charity for deafblind people, recently estimated that 19 per cent. of social services departments are providing intervenors for at least one person.

Supporting People Scheme

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Treasury on the overspend on the Supporting People budget.

Stephen Ladyman: I met my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Yvette Cooper) on 13 January. I attended an inter-ministerial meeting on this subject on 14 January.

Supporting People Scheme

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice he has given to local Supporting People teams on the implications of the budget overspend.

Stephen Ladyman: Advice to local Supporting People teams is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Apprenticeships (Manchester)

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State forEducation and Skills how many residents of Manchester, Gorton have undertaken apprenticeships in each of the last five years.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested is not available at parliamentary constituency level. Nor is the information available on a consistent geographical basis over the last five years. However, the following table shows the number of starts on modern apprenticeships in the Greater Manchester Learning and Skills Council (LSC) area between April 2001 and the end of July 2003, as well as the number of starts from April 1996 to March 2001 in the six Training and Enterprise Councils (TECs) that amalgamated into Greater Manchester LSC—Bolton and Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport and High Peak and Wigan.
	
		Number of starts on modern apprenticeships in the Greater Manchester Learning and Skills Council (LSC) plus number of starts in the six Training and Enterprise Councils (TECs)
		
			 TEC/LSC Advanced MAs Foundation MAs 
		
		
			 April 1998 to March 1999(6)   
			 Bolton and Bury CCTE 800 600 
			 Manchester 2,400 700 
			 Oldham CCTE 400 300 
			 Rochdale CCTE 500 100 
			 Stockport and High Peak(7) 800 100 
			 Wigan CCTE 700 300 
			
			 April 1999 to March 2000(6)   
			 Bolton and Bury CCTE 900 1000 
			 Manchester 2,800 1,800 
			 Oldham CCTE 500 500 
			 Rochdale CCTE 500 600 
			 Stockport and High Peak(7) 700 700 
			 Wigan CCTE 700 600 
			
			 April 2000 to March 2001(6)   
			 Bolton and Bury CCTE 700 1,200 
			 Manchester 3,200 2,600 
			 Oldham CCTE 500 700 
			 Rochdale CCTE 400 700 
			 Stockport and High Peak(7) 800 1,000 
			 Wigan CCTE 900 800 
			
			 April 2001 to July 2002(6)   
			 Greater Manchester LSC 4,800 9,800 
			
			 March 2001 to July 2002(6)   
			 Greater Manchester LSC 2,900 6,800 
		
	
	(6) Time period.
	(7) TEC also became part of Derbyshire LSC
	Source:
	TEC management information
	LSC Individualised Learner Record

Degree Courses

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what proportion ofstudents graduated from (a) skills-based and (b) academic degree courses in each year between 1997 and 2003; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Johnson: The available information on first degree graduates is taken from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record and is given in the table. Figures are given on a subject of study basis.
	
		First Degree Graduates(8) from UK HE institutions by subject
		
			   1997/98  1998/99  1999/2000 
			 Subject group Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage 
		
		
			 Medicine and dentistry 5,900 2 5,842 2 5,966 2 
			 Subjects allied to medicine 16,284 6 17,593 7 17,789 7 
			 Biological sciences 16,885 7 17,359 7 18,449 7 
			 Veterinary science 494 0 528 0 558 0 
			 Agriculture and related subjects 2,266 1 2,329 1 2,342 1 
			 Physical sciences 13,296 5 13,056 5 13,184 5 
			 Mathematical sciences 3,939 2 4,250 2 4,094 2 
			 Computer science/IT 9,991 4 10,380 4 11,211 4 
			 Engineering and technology 22,574 9 22,012 8 20,551 8 
			 Architecture, building and planning 7,273 3 7,223 3 6,587 2 
			 Social, economic and political studies 20,736 8 21,574 8 22,715 9 
			 Law 9,889 4 9,982 4 10,210 4 
			 Business and administrative studies 29,401 11 30,937 12 31,905 12 
			 Librarianship and information science 3,468 1 3,803 1 4,597 2 
			 Languages 16,388 6 15,965  616,619 6 
			 Humanities 10,391 4 10,411 4 10,362 4 
			 Creative arts and design 19,390 7 20,300 8 21,263 8 
			 Education 13,788 5 13,520 5 11,935 4 
			 Combined 36,400 14 36,607 14 34,930 13 
			 Total 258,753 100 263,671 100 265,267 100 
		
	
	
		
			   2000/01  2001/02  2002/03 2,3 
			 Subject group Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage 
		
		
			 Medicine and dentistry 5,964 2 6,079 2 6,114 2 
			 Subjects allied to medicine 19,474 7 20,934 8 22,252 8 
			 Biological sciences 18,550 7 18,185 7 23,168 8 
			 Veterinary science 581 0 622 0 561 0 
			 Agriculture and related subjects 2,297 1 2,315 1 2,109 1 
			 Physical sciences 13,021 5 12,187 5 12,096 4 
			 Mathematical sciences 4,220 2 4,066 2 4,993 2 
			 Computer science/IT 12,504 5 13,857 5 17,385 6 
			 Engineering and technology 19,802 7 19,760 7 18,742 7 
			 Architecture, building and planning 6,246 2 6,180 2 6,267 2 
			 Social, economic and political studies 21,982 8 21,757 8 24,435 9 
			 Law 10,034 4 9,866 4 11,405 4 
			 Business and administrative studies 32,635 12 32,628 12 38,677 14 
			 Librarianship and information science 4,547 2 5,245 2 7,146 3 
			 Languages 16,550 6 15,488 6 19,670 7 
			 Humanities 9,855 4 9,816 4 13,071 5 
			 Creative arts and design 22,207 8 23,026 9 26,054 10 
			 Education 11,784 4 12,474 5 9,301 3 
			 Combined 33,093 12 32,569 12 9,343 3 
			 Total 265,346 100 267,054 100 272,788 100 
		
	
	(8) Figures include both home and overseas students.
	(9) Figures for 2002/03 are provisional.
	(10) The Joint Academic Coding of Subjects (JACS) coding frame was introduced in 2002/03 and replaces HESA's HESACODE classification which was used for years up to and including 2001/02. The main effect of this is to reduce the number of students in the Combined course category and increase those who are allocated to specific subject groups.
	Source:
	Higher Education Statistics Agency.

Degree Courses

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for   Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of students enrolled on (a) skills-based and (b) academic degree courses in each year between 1997 and 2003; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of students he   estimates will enrol on (a) skills-based and (b) academic degree courses in each year between 2004 and 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Johnson: The available information on first degree enrolments is taken from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record and is given in the table. Figures are given on a subject of study basis.
	Projections of student numbers on a subject basis are not available centrally.
	
		First Degree Enrolments(11) at UK HE institutions by subject
		
			   1997/98  1998/99  1999/2000 
			 Subject group Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage 
		
		
			 Medicine and dentistry 28,508 3 29,032 3 29,202 3 
			 Subjects allied to medicine 67,474 7 72,288 7 75,517 8 
			 Biological sciences 65,932 7 66,550 7 67,624 7 
			 Veterinary science 2,547 0 2,689 0 2,846 0 
			 Agriculture and related subjects 7,766 1 8,045 1 7,518 1 
			 Physical sciences 50,723 5 50,222 5 49,113 5 
			 Mathematical sciences 15,990 2 15,677 2 15,633 2 
			 Computer science/IT 47,797 5 52,008 5 55,973 6 
			 Engineering and technology 87,079 9 84,783 8 81,372 8 
			 Architecture, building and planning 28,394 3 27,372 3 26,561 3 
			 Social, economic and political studies 77,561 8 79,856 8 81,601 8 
			 Law 40,528 4 40,535 4 39,457 4 
			 Business and administrative studies 112,727 11 116,658 12 117,408 12 
			 Librarianship and information science 13,789 1 14,584 1 17,121 2 
			 Languages 63,119 6 61,487 6 61,699 6 
			 Humanities 36,186 4 35,127 4 34,589 3 
			 Creative arts and design 73,628 7 76,576 8 78,819 8 
			 Education 51,896 5 49,702 5 47,138 5 
			 Combined 117,466 12 118,576 12 111,020 11 
			 Total 989,110 100 1,001,767 100 1,000,211 100 
		
	
	
		
			   2000/01  2001/02  2002/03 2,3 
			 Subject group Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage 
		
		
			 Medicine and dentistry 30,008 3 31,324 3 33,063 3 
			 Subjects allied to medicine 77,795 8 84,131 8 88,535 8 
			 Biological sciences 68,108 7 68,913 7 93,373 9 
			 Veterinary science 3,015 0 3,251 0 3,043 0 
			 Agriculture and related subjects 7,418 1 7,418 1 7,171 1 
			 Physical sciences 46,838 5 44,575 4 48,111 4 
			 Mathematical sciences 15,869 2 15,974 2 19,426 2 
			 Computer science/IT 62,245 6 68,709 7 80,672 8 
			 Engineering and technology 79,665 8 79,777 8 78,774 7 
			 Architecture, building and planning 25,657 3 25,221 2 25,543 2 
			 Social, economic and political studies 81,517 8 82,248 8 96,528 9 
			 Law 39,887 4 41,599 4 49,936 5 
			 Business and administrative studies 118,336 12 121,012 12 144,712 13 
			 Librarianship and information science 18,608 2 21,252 2 29,376 3 
			 Languages 59,575 6 58,275 6 76,804 7 
			 Humanities 34,972 3 36,042 3 50,632 5 
			 Creative arts and design 82,221 8 86,515 8 99,855 9 
			 Education 47,704 5 49,908 5 38,104 4 
			 Combined 104,474 10 106,184 10 9,131 1 
			 Total 1,003,912 100 1,032,328 100 1,072,789 100 
		
	
	(11) Figures include both home and overseas students.
	(12) Figures for 2002/03 are provisional.
	(13) The Joint Academic Coding of Subjects (JACS) coding frame was introduced in 2002/03 and replaces HESA's HESACODE classification which was used for years up to and including 2001/02. The main effect of this is to reduce the number of students in the combined course category and increase those who are allocated to specific subject groups.
	Source:
	Higher Education Statistics Agency.

Early Years Development

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many playgroup places were available in each year since 1997.

Margaret Hodge: The information is not available in the form requested. The available information is shown in the table.
	
		Number of registered childcare places(14) by type of provider England 1997–2003—Position at 31March each year
		
			  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 (15)2002 (16)2003 
		
		
			 Day nurseries (17) 193,800 223,000 247,700 264,200 285,100 n/a n/a 
			 Full day care(18) n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 383,200 
			 Playgroups and pre-schools(17) 383,700 383,600 347,200 353,100 330,200 n/a n/a 
			 Sessional day care(18) n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 279,700 
			 Childminders 365,200 370,700 336,600 320,400 304,600 n/a 317,200 
			 Out of school clubs(17) 78,700 92,300 113,800 141,100 152,800 n/a n/a 
			 Holiday schemes4,5 209,000 256,500 435,300 (19)490,400 550,400 n/a n/a 
			 Out of school day care(20) n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 322,200 
			 Creche day care(20) n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 37,200 
		
	
	n/a = Not available
	(14) Figures have been rounded
	(15) 2002 was a transitional year when Ofsted established its databases and validated the actual number of individuals and organisations that were providing childcare
	(16) The number of childcare places and providers are not directly comparable because they were collected differently
	(17) Data Source: Children's Day Care Facilities
	(18) From 1999, places at holiday schemes were counted once for each school holiday during the year. Prior to 1999, places were counted once only
	(19) Includes those schemes exempt from registration
	(20) Data Source: Ofsted
	With the introduction of the National Day Care Standards and the transfer of responsibilities for registration and inspection to Ofsted, childcare places are classified according to whether they are full day care, sessional day care, childminder, out of school day care or crèche day care places. Previously, childcare places were classified according to whether they were provided by day nurseries, playgroups and pre-schools, childminders, out of school clubs or holiday schemes. Figures for 2003 are not directly comparable with figures for earlier years because they are collected on a different basis. Some playgroups and pre-schools provide full day care and some former playgroups and pre-schools have converted to day nurseries.
	Statistics on the number of childcare places registered in England were published on 19 February 2004 in a report by Ofsted "Registered Childcare Providers and Places in England, 31 December 2003'. The report is available on the Ofsted website www.ofsted.gov.uk/publications.

University Attendance (Greater London)

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people attended university from Greater London in each year since 1996, broken down by local education authority.

Alan Johnson: The available information is taken from the Universities and Colleges Admissions service (UCAS) and covers all applicants accepted through UCAS to full time first degree and HND courses. Figures are given in the table.
	
		Home domiciled applicants accepted for entry to HE through UCAS
		
			Year of entry 
			 LEA 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 
		
		
			 Barking 292 481 497 517 517 592 714 
			 Barnet 2,325 2,653 2,643 2,643 2,727 2,809 2,870 
			 Bexley 801 897 926 817 961 990 1,032 
			 Brent 2,027 2,288 2,176 2,387 2,444 2,415 2,479 
			 Bromley 1,446 1,696 1,688 1,638 1,714 1,807 1,849 
			 Camden 1,383 1,296 1,167 1,139 1,252 1,266 1,218 
			 City of London 44 25 38 72 59 104 128 
			 Croydon 1,869 1,969 1,903 2,011 2,224 2,200 2,194 
			 Ealing 1,823 2,161 2,130 2,337 2,378 2,476 2,600 
			 Enfield 1,605 1,805 1,687 1,780 1,768 1,884 1,981 
			 Greenwich 945 1,019 989 1,021 1,049 1,233 1,129 
			 Hackney 867 1,249 1,174 1,229 1,246 1,386 1,374 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 870 963 849 876 886 967 970 
			 Haringey 1,300 1,565 1,550 1,535 1,541 1,546 1,549 
			 Harrow 1,709 1,875 1,841 1,999 2,025 2,131 2,173 
			 Havering 747 836 796 844 859 914 832 
			 Hillingdon 1,049 1,192 1,231 1,219 1,315 1,389 1,538 
			 Hounslow 1,291 1,415 1,429 1,424 1,635 1,560 1,610 
			 Islington 662 976 961 973 1,063 1,053 1,028 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 922 1,041 925 960 958 980 983 
			 Kingston Upon Thames 876 938 948 945 996 1,113 1,191 
			 Lambeth 1,387 1,577 1,511 1,591 1,628 1,794 1,836 
			 Lewisham 1,096 1,370 1,291 1,295 1,428 1,511 1,545 
			 Merton 1,158 1,144 1,048 1,157 1,149 1,201 1,241 
			 Newham 1,235 1,625 1,689 1,948 1,938 2,191 2,127 
			 Redbridge 1,581 1,708 1,705 1,731 1,931 2,061 2,187 
			 Richmond Upon Thames 1,035 1,237 1,306 1,216 1,170 1,278 1,207 
			 Southwark 1,165 1,375 1,394 1,501 1,476 1,607 1,758 
			 Sutton 855 935 914 907 957 1,024 1,096 
			 Tower Hamlets 768 810 865 949 1,085 1,158 1,199 
			 Waltham Forest 1,031 1,322 1,295 1,322 1,379 1,473 1,527 
			 Wandsworth 988 1,550 1,484 1,509 1,474 1,559 1,544 
			 Westminster 783 1,110 1,082 1,029 1,033 1,082 1,157 
			 
			 Total Greater London(21) 37,935 44,103 43,132 44,521 46,265 48,754 49,866 
		
	
	(21) Figures exclude those domiciles of unknown LEA.
	Source:
	UCAS

Further Education

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students have applied to take (a) foundation degrees and (b) Higher National Diplomas in each of the past three years.

Alan Johnson: The available information covers those applying through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) to full-time foundation degrees and HMDs. Figures are given in the table. There is no central record of applicants to part-time courses.
	
		Number of applicants(22) through UCAS to foundation degree and HND courses
		
			 Year of entry Foundation degrees HMDs 
		
		
			 2001 1,330 52,584 
			 2002 5,383 45,417 
			 2003 10,956 38,046 
		
	
	(22) Applicants applying to both foundation degree and HND courses will be counted in both columns.
	Source:
	Universities and Colleges Admissions Service

Higher Education

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of whether the proposed reforms to the funding of higher education will affect the choice of place of study of (a) students residing in England and (b) students residing in Wales (i) during the period of this term of the Welsh Assembly Government when an opt-out applies in Wales and (ii) in a future term of the Welsh Assembly Government should it adopt comparable higher education reforms in Wales.

Alan Johnson: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Skills and I are in regular contact with the National Assembly on these issues. Data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency shows that the percentage of Welsh-domiciled full-time undergraduate students studying in Wales rose from 57 per cent. in 1997–8 to 62 per cent. in 2002–03: the proportion of English-domiciled full-time undergraduates studying in Wales has remained at 3 per cent. over the same period. All the evidence we have on sensitivity of demand to raising and deferring a fee of up to £3,000 suggests the impact of higher fees on these trends is unlikely to be significant. If the Higher Education Bill currently before Parliament proceeds to Royal Assent, future decisions on tuition fees will be for the National Assembly. The Assembly has already committed to providing Welsh students who study in England with a package of financial support that is similar to that available to English students, including fee deferral and a grant worth up to £2,700 for low income students.

Higher Education

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students from England attended higher education institutions in Scotland in each academic year since 2000–01.

Alan Johnson: Figures for the number of English domiciled, full time, undergraduates enrolled at Scottish HE institutions are given in the table.
	
		English domiciled full time undergraduates at Scottish HE institutions
		
			 Academic Year Enrolments 
		
		
			 2000–01 14,723 
			 2001–02 14,841 
			 2002–03 14,291 
		
	
	Source:
	Higher Education Statistics Agency

Higher Education

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students from Scotland attended higher education institutions in England in each academic year since 2000–01.

Alan Johnson: Figures for the number of Scottish domiciled, full time, undergraduates enrolled at English HE institutions are given in the table.
	
		Scottish domiciled full time undergraduates at English HE institutions
		
			 Academic year Enrolments 
		
		
			 2000–01 5,802 
			 2001–02 5,891 
			 2002–03 5,950 
		
	
	Source:
	Higher Education Statistics Agency

Higher Education

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the level of public spending per student in higher education will be in the current financial year and each of the two subsequent financial years.

Alan Johnson: The table as follows, published in our 2003 Departmental Report, shows publicly planned funding per student to 2005–06. Spending on higher education in 2005–06 will be reconfirmed, and the budgets for 2006–07 and 2007–07 will be set, once the spending review settlement announced on 17 March has been allocated within the Department.
	
		Table 3.8 Funding(23) per Student2 in Higher Education, 1996–97 to 2005–06
		
			  1997–98 actual 1998–99 actual 1999–2000 actual 2000–01 actual 2001–02 actual 2002–03 provisional 2003–04 plans 2004–05 plans 2005–06 plans 
		
		
			 Funding per student(25) Real terms (£) Real   terms index(26) 5,050 5,050 5,040 4,980 5,020 5,020 5,150 5,190 5,340 
			  100 100 100 99 99 99 102 103 106 
		
	
	(23) Publicly planned funding on higher education institutions in England includes block grants from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and the Teacher Training Agency, and public and private contributions towards the costs of tuition.
	(24) Full-time equivalent students
	(25) The maximum student contribution to fees in 2002–3 is £1,100. This forms part of the funding above and represents between 20 and 25 per cent. of the average costs of a course.
	(26) Real terms index has been based with 1997–98 set as 100 and using the April 2003 gross domestic product deflators.

Higher Education

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the individual public sector budgets from which grants have been made to higher education institutions in the past two financial years.

Alan Johnson: In the last two years, higher education institutions in England have received public funding from the Higher Education Funding Council for England, the Teacher Training Agency; the Learning Skills Council; the Student Loans Company; local authorities; the Office of Science and Technology; the Research Councils; theArts and Humanities Research Board; other Government departments, which commission research or buy services from HEIs, (including the Department of Health, Department for Education and Skills and the Ministry of Defence), and from the European Union, for example from European Social Funds.

Medical Students

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the attrition rates for medical school undergraduates were in each year of training since 1997.

Alan Johnson: Information on non-completion rates for higher education students broken down by subject is not held centrally. For full-time first degree students who began their studies in 2000/01, the overall non-completion rate for the UK was estimated by the Higher Education Funding Council for England to be 16 per cent., one of the lowest in the OECD.

Part-time Undergraduates

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the age profile is of part-time undergraduate students in the UK.

Alan Johnson: The available information is given in the table.
	
		Part time undergraduate enrolments(27) at UK institutions 2002/03
		
			 Age band Number 
		
		
			 Under 18 years 2,285 
			 18 to 24 years 73,926 
			 25 to 34 years 138,599 
			 35 to 44 years 141,947 
			 45 to 54 years 77,916 
			 55 to 64 years 33,839 
			 65 years and over 21,446 
			 Unknown 9,935 
			 Total 499,893 
		
	
	Source:
	Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

School Location

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) primary and (b) secondary school pupils in Greater London live more than three miles from the school they attend, broken down by local education authority.

David Miliband: holding answer 19 April 2004
	The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Numbers of pupils living more than three miles (27)from the maintained primary and secondary schools(28)that they attend—January 2003
		
			  Primary Secondary 
			  Number of pupils Percentage of pupils Number of pupils Percentage of pupils 
		
		
			 Barking and Dagenham 269 1.4 662 5.7 
			 Barnet 847 3.3 5,571 26.4 
			 Bexley 450 2.1 2,230 12.6 
			 Brent 1,034 4.5 2,291 14.1 
			 Bromley 748 3.1 4,113 18.8 
			 Camden 226 2.0 1,253 13.0 
			 City of London 30 13.5 n/a — 
			 City of Westminister 487 4.6 1,841 22.1 
			 Croydon 844 2.7 2,889 15.6 
			 Ealing 459 1.7 1,550 9.9 
			 Enfield 725 2.7 2,982 14.1 
			 Greenwich 359 1.7 1,786 12.2 
			 Hackney 270 1.5 312 3.9 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 218 2.2 1,940 26.5 
			 Haringey 364 1.7 671 6.2 
			 Harrow 576 2.9 889 9.9 
			 Havering 734 3.6 2,712 16.6 
			 Hillingdon 625 2.5 2,159 12.4 
			 Hounslow 450 2.3 2,774 16.8 
			 Islington 250 1.7 699 9.0 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 292 4.2 736 20.7 
			 Kingston upon Thames 204 1.7 1,615 17.8 
			 Lambeth 460 2.3 1,224 16.5 
			 Lewisham 348 1.5 1,191 10.2 
			 Merton 229 1.6 1,264 14.8 
			 Newham 237 0.8 612 3.4 
			 Redbridge 580 2.4 2.194 11.1 
			 Richmond upon Thames 227 1.8 1,016 13.7 
			 Southwark 324 1.4 1,016 9.4 
			 Sutton 215 1.4 2.322 15.1 
			 Tower Hamlets 388 1.8 682 4.7 
			 Waltham Forest 346 1.6 582 4.2 
			 Wandsworth 562 3.2 1,568 15.5 
			 Greater London total 14,379 2.3 55,346 13.2 
		
	
	(27) Distances calculated are straight line
	(28) includes middle schools as deemed
	Source: Pupil Level Annual Schools' Census

Speech Therapists

Angela Watkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many colleges in London offer speech therapy courses; and how many places are available on each course.

Melanie Johnson: The latest available information from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) website (www.ucas.ac.uk). shows that two institutions in London, University College London and City University offer courses in Speech Therapy or Speech Science. The number of students on these courses is not held centrally.

Speech Therapists

Angela Watkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many students started speech therapy courses at colleges in London in each year from 1997 to 2004;
	(2)  how many students dropped out of speech therapy   courses at London colleges in each year since 1997;
	(3)  how many students (a) qualified as speech therapists from London colleges and (b) entered the profession in each year since 1997.

Alan Johnson: Information on the number of students entering and qualifying from speech therapy courses is not held centrally. The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HECFE) publish non-completion rates of students on all full-time undergraduate courses but these are not calculated for individual subjects or courses.

Student Drop-out Rate

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the drop out rate was for each (a) higher education and (b) further education institution in the latest year for which figures are available.

Alan Johnson: For higher education institutions, the available information on non continuation rates is contained in "Performance Indicators in Higher Education", published by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). The figures cover full-time first degree courses only, and show, for each individual HE institution in the UK, the numbers and proportion of entrants who failed to complete their course. Copies of the HEFCE publication are available for students starting courses in 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99 and 1999–2000, and are available from the House Library; data for 2000–01 is available from the HEFCE website at http://www.hefce,ac,uk/learning/perfind/2003/
	In Further Education, figures are routinely presented in terms of the percentage of learners who are retained. In-year retention rates for Further Education Institutions in England can be found in the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) publication "Summary Statistics for Further Education Institutions: England 2000/2001", available at http://www.lscdata.gov.uk/summary statistics/. A printed version of the relevant table showing in-year retention rates for each institution, along with summary information will be placed in the Commons Library.

CABINET OFFICE

Civil Servants

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many civil servants are employed in each constituency listed in descending order.

Douglas Alexander: Data on numbers of Civil Servants employed in each constituency is not collected centrally. A breakdown of the number employed in each Government Office Region is published annually in the Civil Service Statistics. Copies of Civil Service Statistics are available in the Library and at www.civil-service. gov.uk/statistics.

New Deal

Edward O'Hara: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office How many New Deal 50 plus clients were employed in each of the last three years by (a) his Department and (b) all other central Government Departments.

Douglas Alexander: Data on the number of people starting employment under the New Deal 50 plus scheme has been collected on a quarterly basis by the Cabinet Office since July 2002. The available information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Annual Number of New Deal 50 plus—Cabinet Office Number of New Deal 50 plus—central Government Departments(29) 
		
		
			 2 January 2003– 1 January 2004 0 40 
			 2 July 2002– 1 January 2003(30) 1 8 
		
	
	(29) Number of people starting employment under the New Deal 50 plus scheme in all central Government Departments and agencies excluding Cabinet Office.
	(30) Information is not available prior July 2002 when collection began.
	Source:
	Cabinet Office—New Deal Data Collection.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Local Government Finance

Bob Spink: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the 10 (a) least and (b) most indebted local authorities are.

Nick Raynsford: The information requested is as follows:
	(a) The 10 English local authorities that had the least net debt as at 31 March 2003 are:
	City of London
	Barking and Dagenham
	Basingstoke and Deane
	Bromley
	South Oxfordshire
	St. Edmundsbury
	Dorset
	Crawley
	East Hertfordshire
	Huntingdonshire
	(b) The 10 English local authorities that had the most net debt as at 31 March 2003 are:
	Newham
	Islington
	Southwark
	Kent
	Lambeth
	Liverpool
	Sheffield
	Leeds
	Birmingham
	Manchester.
	Source:
	ODPM monthly and quarterly borrowing returns.
	It should be noted that authorities with high levels of debt are generally those which have undertaken capital investment. Long-term borrowing to finance capital expenditure was regulated through the issue of credit approvals up until 31 March 2004 and, as from 1 April 2004, is subject to the Prudential System.

Local Government Finance

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how the Government intends to change the formula for distribution between authorities of housing revenue account and management and maintenance allowances; and what the sums involved are.

Keith Hill: Following wide consultation with local authorities and others last year, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister announced changes to the distribution of management and maintenance allowances within HRA subsidy to take effect from April 2004. Full details of each authority's allocation and the new methodology were published on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website on 18 December 2003, as part of the General Determination of Housing Revenue Account Subsidy for 2004–05. We are considering some minor, technical improvements to the new formulae for 2005–06 and will of course consult before introducing any further change.
	The changes are purely about distribution and have   not made any difference to the total resources available for management and maintenance allowances. Transitional arrangements mean that all authorities will receive at least inflationary increases in their allowances in both 2004–05 and 2005–06, with most receiving more.

Local Government Finance

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the latest allocation of Planning Delivery Grant to each local authority and region.

Keith Hill: The latest allocations of Planning Delivery Grant for 2004–05 has been made available in the Libraries of the House.

Local Government Finance

Paul Keetch: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he intends to cap the council tax rise imposed byHerefordshire council; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Raynsford: When the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister announced the council tax increases for 2004–05 on 25 March, we confirmed that we were ready to use our targeted capping powers if necessary and that we aimed to notify any authorities which might be in line for capping by the end of April. I cannot say in advance which authorities these may be.

Correspondence

James Paice: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he expects to reply to the (a) letters from the Chairman of South Cambridgeshire District Council of 30 January and 2 April and the (b) letter from the hon. Member for South East Cambridgeshire of 30 March, on the Smithy Fen travellers' site at Cottenham and requests for a meeting.

Yvette Cooper: I replied to these letters on 21 April 2004.

Development Planning

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his latest timetable is for implementing (a) regional spatial strategies and (b) local development documents.

Keith Hill: On commencement of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill, the majority of existing Regional Planning Guidance documents will become Regional Spatial Strategies and should be implemented in accordance with the implementation proposals set out in those documents over the 15 to 20 year periods they relate to.
	Commencement of the Bill will also enable LPAs to prepare and adopt Local Development Documents in accordance with the programmes outlined in their Local Development Schemes. The Local Development Schemes will have to be in place by the end of this year and will set out a three-year programme for the preparation of Local Development Documents.

Drugs Litter

Mark Todd: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether powers exist to permit officers of a local authority to enter private property to retrieve drugs litter.

Phil Hope: Any tenant or owner-occupier has the right to enjoy their premises without disturbance. Local authority officers cannot enter private property without permission unless they have been given a specific power to do so. There are no specific powers that we are aware of, which relate to retrieval of drugs litter.

Fire Safety/Construction Products

David Lidington: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he plans to consult (a) the Association of FireConsultants, (b) the Passive Fire Protection Confederation and (c) the Active Fire Industry Confederation about European Commission proposals to amend the law on fire safety and construction products.

Nick Raynsford: The European Commission has not   yet published its proposals for amending the construction products directive. When it does, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will consult relevant UK industry bodies in the usual way. We will ensure that the organisations referred to by the hon. Member are included in any such consultation.

Fire Safety/Construction Products

David Lidington: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on European Commission proposals to make the useof a CE mark mandatory for construction products.

Keith Hill: The European Commission has not yet published any proposals concerning the mandatory or voluntary nature of CE marking. When they do, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will consult UK industry in the usual way before deciding on the Government's policy on this matter.

Fires

Tom Watson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the number of fires caused by cigarettes in each of the last five years; and how many deaths there were in such fires.

Nick Raynsford: The information requested is in the following table:
	
		Fires and fatal casualties in fires attended by United Kingdom Fire and Rescue Services that were started by cigarettes and other tobacco products, UK, 1998–2002
		
			  Fires(31) Fatal casualties 
		
		
			 1998 8,134 160 
			 1999 7,919 130 
			 2000 6,660 143 
			 2001 6,839 146 
			 2002(32) 6,192 123 
		
	
	(31) Estimate based on sampled data.
	(32) Excluding a period of 10 days of industrial action in November 2002

Green Belt

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the Government's strategy on building on the Green Belt is.

Keith Hill: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member on 15 December 2003 Official Report, Hansard (column 748W).

Houses in Multiple Occupation

John Hayes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what consultations he has had with landlords and landlords' representatives regarding the method by which licensing   of houses of multiple occupation will be introduced.

Keith Hill: Landlords and their representatives were consulted on the draft Housing Bill and were subsequently invited to present evidence to the Select Committee that scrutinised the Bill. Ministers and officials have had a number of meetings with landlords' representatives on the licensing provisions in the Bill and how they might be implemented. The Government are committed to continue consultation with stakeholders, including landlords, on the implementation of the licensing provisions.

Houses in Multiple Occupation

John Hayes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what   plans he has to introduce a pilot scheme for licensing of houses of multiple occupation in England and Wales.

Keith Hill: The Government have no plans to introduce a pilot scheme for licensing of houses in multiple occupation in England and Wales.

Houses in Multiple Occupation

John Hayes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what consultations he has had with landlords and landlords' representatives regarding the manner in which central Government will monitor licensing of houses of multiple occupation; and what the results were.

Keith Hill: The Government has not yet consulted landlords or their representatives, on the manner in which it will monitor licensing of houses in multiple occupation. It has undertaken to review licensing within three years of its implementation and it will consult stakeholders (including landlords' representatives) on the terms of reference for that review once plans have been worked up.

Housing

Peter Pike: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of how the Starter Homes Initiative has affected the residents of Burnley.

Keith Hill: Between September 2001 and 31 March 2004, the Starter Home Initiative helped key workers into home ownership in areas where the high cost of housing was undermining recruitment and retention of skilled staff in our key public services. The programme was not available to key workers in Burnley.
	The new Key Worker Living programme which started on 1 April 2004 superseding the Starter Home Initiative is helping key workers in London, the South East and the Eastern regions.

Housing

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many homes have been made available within Liverpool, Walton under (a) the Starter Homes Initiative and (b) the Abandoned Homes Initiative.

Keith Hill: Between September 2001 and 31 March 2004, the Starter Home Initiative (SHI) helped key workers into home ownership in areas where the high cost of housing serves to undermine recruitment and retention of skilled staff in our key public services. The SHI was available in London and the South East region and in some housing hotspots in the East, South West and West Midlands regions. It was not available to key workers in the North West region.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is not aware of an Abandoned Homes Initiative. However, our Market Renewal Pathfinders is a comprehensive programme to tackle low demand and abandonment in   nine English areas, including Merseyside. The boundaries of the Merseyside scheme were drawn up following an analysis of local housing markets to identify those areas most acutely affected by low demand and abandonment. The integrated approach to spatial and economic issues being adopted by the pathfinders should bring substantial benefits to the wider sub-region.

Housing

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the effect of the Starter Homes Initiative on the residents of Manchester, Gorton.

Keith Hill: Between September 2001 and 31 March 2004, the Starter Home Initiative helped key workers into home ownership in areas where the high cost of housing was undermining recruitment and retention of skilled staff in our key public services. The programme was not available to key workers in Manchester.
	The new Key Worker Living programme which started on 1 April 2004 superseding the Starter Home Initiative is helping key workers in London, the South East and the Eastern regions.

Housing

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what evaluation he has undertaken of the link between the current level of housing construction and the time it takes to obtain full planning permission.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister recognises that good performance on planning including having up to date plans in place and an efficient and effective development control service are important to achieving agreed housing numbers although, as the Barker review concluded, they are not the only factors. That is why we are seeking to reform the planning system and increase its resourcing to drive improved performance in these areas.

Housing Act 1986

John Hayes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  what measures are in place to assess the effectiveness of the implementation of the Housing Act 1986; and what their findings are;
	(2)  what measures are in place to assess the impact of the Housing Act 1986 on the housing market; and what their findings are.

Keith Hill: The effectiveness and impact of the provisions within the Housing and Planning Act 1986 have been assessed as part of the development of different aspects of housing policy which led to the bringing forward of subsequent housing legislation. This has led to many of the provisions in the 1986 Act being amended or repealed by:
	the Housing Act 1988;
	the Local Government and Housing Act 1989;
	the Housing Act 1996;
	and other legislation on housing.

Housing and Planning

John Hayes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)what the names and functions are of the organisations and agencies within his Office that relate to housing and planning; what budget is allocated to each; how the efficiency of the different organisations and agencies within his Office that relate to housing and planning is evaluated; and what the efficiency rating is of each such organisation and agency;
	(2)  what mergers of organisations and agencies there have been since 1997 within his Office that relate to housing and planning; what evaluation has been made of the effectiveness of such mergers; and what the results were;
	(3)  how many staff were employed in 1997 in organisations and agencies relate to housing and planning; and how many staff are employed now in organisations and agencies within his Office that relate to housing and planning.

Keith Hill: An organisational chart showing the current structure and complements of the directorates dealing with housing, planning and related issues in the Sustainable Communities Delivery Unit within the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has been made available in the Library of the House.
	The allocation for the Housing Directorate's administration expenditure for 2004–05 is £7.216 million. The allocation for Planning is £6.774 million.
	There have been separate housing and planning directorates throughout the period since 1997, although the directorates work very closely together within the Sustainable Communities Delivery Unit.
	The efficiency of these directorates is measured by the progress made against the public service agreement targets for which they are chiefly responsible. This is reported in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's annual report.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was established on 29 May 2002. Information prior to this date is not available. On 1 April 2004, there were 281.14 full time equivalent staff working in the housing and planning directorates.

Housing and Planning

John Hayes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many PFI projects have been undertaken within the remit of the housing and planning section of his Office   since private finance initiative projects were introduced.

Keith Hill: Since the introduction of Private Finance Initiative (PFI) projects, the Office of the Deputy prime Minister has undertaken 28 Housing PFI projects of   which nine are signed, and a further 19 are in procurement.
	Under the Planning section, the Office has not undertaken any PFI projects to date.

Housing and Planning

John Hayes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what functions the EU requires his Office to undertake with regard to housing and planning.

Keith Hill: Housing and planning are not areas for which the EU has competence. However, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's Planning Directorate has policy responsibility for the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive and the Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive.

Housing Bill

John Hayes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the Government estimates the implementation of the provisions of the Housing Bill will cost; and what funds the Government have committed to the implementation of the provisions of the Housing Bill.

Keith Hill: The Housing Bill was introduced in the House in December 2003. At that time, the Government made available the Regulatory Impact Assessments for each of the Parts of the Bill. These set out our initial estimates of the costs of implementing the Housing Bill provisions. These included start-up costs for the introduction of the Housing Health and Safety Rating System and licensing provisions. They also included start up costs and some additional enforcement costs for the introduction of home information packs.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is currently in discussion with the Local Government Association about these estimated costs. Final decisions on the commitment of funds are subject to the outcome of the Government's spending review.

Local Development Frameworks

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what progress has been made by local authorities in meeting their Public Service Agreement 6 Target to complete all their Local Development Frameworks by 2006; how many authorities he expects to meet the target and how many he expects will not; and what plans he has to use his powers to intervene directly to enable local authorities to meet this target.

Nick Raynsford: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister expects that all local planning authorities will meet the target by having up to date planning policies consisting of policies in saved development plans and new policies in Local Development Documents. At present, there are no plans to intervene directly with local authorities, but we will keep this under review in the light of the authorities' first Local Development Schemes.

Local Government Finance (Liverpool)

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much grant has been paid to Liverpool City Council each year since 1997.

Nick Raynsford: Total grant paid to Liverpool City Council since 1997 is tabled as follows:
	
		Total Grant
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 1997–98 384.4 
			 1998–99 411.7 
			 1999–2000 431.4 
			 2000–01 469.4 
			 2001–02 514.4 
			 2002–03 558.7 
			 2003–04(34) 583.7 
		
	
	(33) Includes Revenue Support Grant, Redistributed Non-Domestic Rates and Specificand Special Grants inside AEF.
	(34) Budgeted figures
	Source:
	1997–98 to 2002–03 Revenue Summary Returns and 2003–04 Budget Estimate Return.

Management and Maintenance Allowance

Clive Betts: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the average management and maintenance allowance per dwelling in England was for each year from 1990–91; and what the planned figure is for 2005–06.

Keith Hill: The following table shows the average management and maintenance allowances per dwelling in England from 1990–91 to 2004–05. Allowances for 2005–06 will not be announced until December 2004. However they are expected to increase by around 10.5 per cent.
	
		Average management and maintenance allowances per dwelling in England
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 1990–91 742.57 
			 1991–92 772.85 
			 1992–93 837.60 
			 1993–94 874.86 
			 1994–95 906.83 
			 1995–96 945.09 
			 1996–97 959.99 
			 1997–98 960.52 
			 1998–99 960.03 
			 1999–00 977.84 
			 2000–01 1,006.45 
			 2001–02 1,035.65 
			 2002–03 1,112.70 
			 2003–04(35) 1,188.33 
		
	
	(35) Based on advanced claims for HRA subsidy. Other years from final audited claims.

Oxfordshire (Barker Report)

Boris Johnson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the implications of the Barker Report for Oxfordshire.

Keith Hill: It is too early to take any view about the implications of the Barker report for any particular area. Kate Barker's report sets out a challenging agenda for change which will help to carry forward the objectives of our Communities Plan. The Government agrees that, in order to deliver long term stability in housing markets where demand is highest, a substantial increase in housing supply is needed.
	This needs to be delivered as part of a package which includes planning reform, a more responsive house building industry and more investment in affordable housing and infrastructure. At the same time, the economic case for increased development needs to bebalanced against its social and environmental implications.
	The Barker report looked at the national picture. Any plans to implement its recommendations will also have to take account of the widely differing housing market conditions across the country and our consideration will include the regional and sub-regional dimension. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister expects to establish a long term market affordability goal, linked to housing supply, and consult on its implications at national and regional level within the next 18 months.

Planning Officers

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many qualified planning officers are employed by local government in England; and how many will be required to implement the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill.

Keith Hill: The information requested is not heldcentrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost—However, it is believed that just over 6,100 chartered Town Planners are in post. It is for individual local authorities to determine how many qualified planners they require to fulfil their functions, but the Government have provided Planning Delivery Grant worth £350 million during 2003–06 to help implement planning reforms and improve performance.

Regional Assemblies

Ann Winterton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he proposes that the proposed temporary borrowing powers for cash management purposes for possible regional assemblies will be guaranteed by central Government.

Nick Raynsford: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister proposes to give elected regional assemblies temporary borrowing powers for cash management purposes. It would be unnecessary for central Government to guarantee such borrowing.

Social Housing

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister for the years 1997 and 2003 (a) how many houses were sold under (i) the right-to-buy scheme and (ii) the right-to-acquire scheme, (b) how many council houses were built and (c) how many registered social landlord houses were built.

Keith Hill: The figures are available for financial years 1996–97 and 2002–03 and are tabled as follows:
	
		
			  1996–97 2002–03 
		
		
			 Right-to-buy sales—LA tenants 33,206 63,394 
			 Right-to-buy sales—RSL tenants 2,300 10,473 
			 Right-to-acquire sales 0 228 
			
			 RSL new build completions 24,630 13,330 
			 Council new build completions 451 271

Social Housing

Mike Hancock: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his policy is regarding the percentage of social housing that should be built on land released for residential use by the Ministry of Defence and the additional infrastructure that will be required; and what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on this subject.

Keith Hill: Government policy on the proportion of affordable housing to be provided in new developments is set out in Planning Policy Guidance Note 3: "Housing" (2000). This states that local planning authorities should identify suitable areas and sites on which affordable housing is to be provided and the amount of provision which will be sought. Additional infrastructure required by new developments varies from site to site and is a matter for agreement between the parties. Former Ministry of Defence sites are treated in the same way by the planning system as any other development site.
	There is regular contact between Ministry of Defence and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, including at ministerial level. English Partnerships has been given the role under the Sustainable Communities Plan (February 2003) to find and assemble land, especially brownfield and publicly owned land, for sustainable development.

Telecommunications Masts

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to amend planning guidance in relation to telecommunications masts.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has no plans to amend planning guidance in relation to telecommunications developments at present.

Travellers

James Paice: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what advice he has received on the impact on appeals by travellers against planning enforcement where it can be proven that the appellants own property elsewhere in the EU.

Yvette Cooper: Decisions on planning applications and appeals, including enforcement appeals, are based on the land-use merits of each proposal. Under our 'plan-led' system of development control, applications and appeals—including enforcement appeals—have to be decided on their individual merits in accordance with the local planning authority's development plan for the area with reference to other material considerations.

Travellers

James Paice: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the effects of the Human Rights Act 1998 on planning decisions relating to travellers' sites.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has made no overall assessment of the effects of the Human Rights Act 1998 on planning decisions, whether they relate to traveller sites or other types of development.

TREASURY

Special Purpose Vehicles

Theresa May: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many special purpose vehicles have been set up since October 2002.

Dawn Primarolo: Information on signed private finance initiative projects is submitted to the Treasury by Departments. This information, which includes the capital value and nature of each project, is available from the HM Treasury website: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/documents/public   private   partnerships/ppp   pfi   stats.cfm

Child Tax Credit (Manchester)

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in Manchester, Gorton have received child tax credit.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Burton (Mrs. Dean) on 15 March 2004, Official Report, column 98W.

Corporation Tax

Mark Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of the impact on revenue of the European Court of Justice ruling concerning corporation tax for (a) 2004–05, (b) 2005–06, (c) 2006–07 and (d) 2007–08.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 5 January 2004, Official Report, column 163W.
	To date, a total of £212 million has now been paid as a consequence of the judgment of the European Court of Justice in the Hoechst case. Around £110 million of this may be recoverable depending on the outcome of a related court case. Current claims in which repayments have not yet been made are estimated to be in the region of £220 million, of which around £150 million depends on the court case. Any further repayments are subject to the other court decisions and a reliable estimate of the tax potentially repayable is not possible at the present time. But because ACT was abolished in 1999 these cases will not reduce corporation tax receipts for future years.
	The Government will also continue the wider-ranging dialogue on international issues that was begun during the August 2003 consultation, with a view to maintaining the competitiveness and fairness of the UK corporation tax regime and ensuring that it remains robust.

Tax Credits (Overpayments)

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what account is taken of claimants' weekly entitlement before tax credit overpayments are recovered.

Dawn Primarolo: Tax credits awards are based on annual entitlement. The Inland Revenue's Code of Practice 26, "What happens if we have paid you too much tax credit?", sets out the rules that the Inland Revenue follows when adjusting an award to recover an overpayment.

Tax Credits (Overpayments)

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what limits there are on the recovery of overpayments for tax credits.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave the hon. Member for South Down (Mr. McGrady) on 3 February 2004, Official Report, column 828W.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Child Maintenance

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what powers exist to retrieve child maintenance from British citizens who leave the country and go to live in another EU member state.

David Lammy: A number of international conventions and agreements exist that either provide for an existing maintenance order to be registered and enforced in the country which a parent has moved, or for an order for child support to be made and enforced in that country. These are the United Nations Convention on the Recovery Abroad of Maintenance 20 June 1956, the   Hague Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Decisions Relating to Maintenance Obligations 2 October 1973, the Brussels & Lugano Conventions 1968 and 1988 (now Council Regulation (EC) 1348/2000 of 29 May 2000—Service of Judicial and Extra-Judicial Documents in Civil and Commercial Matters) and the Republic of Ireland Agreement. These reciprocal arrangements apply where the EU country and the United Kingdom are signatories to the treaties. The primary legislation governing these international arrangements are the Maintenance Orders (Reciprocal Enforcement) Act 1972 Parts 1 & II, the Reciprocal Enforcement of Maintenance Orders (Hague Convention Countries) Order 1993, the Civil jurisdiction and Judgements Act 1982 and the Reciprocal Enforcement of Maintenance Orders (Republic of Ireland) Order 1993.

Debt Recovery

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs in how many county court judgments enforcement agents have been used to recover debts where the sum of money to be recovered is (a) £125 or less and (b) more than £125 in each year since 1997.

Christopher Leslie: My Department is responsible for county court bailiffs only.
	Statistical data by value of the debt enforcement process that county court bailiffs have dealt with, is not collected. The number of county court warrants of execution issued since 1997 is as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 1998 543,848 
			 1999 538,337 
			 2000 470,270 
			 2001 394,611 
			 2002 372,505 
			 2003 355,476

Debt Recovery

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the proceeds of sales of goods by enforcement agents employed by the county courts was for the payment of (a) council tax and (b) all other debts in each year since 1997.

Christopher Leslie: My Department is responsible for county court bailiffs only. Unpaid council tax is not recoverable through the county courts. It is pursued through the magistrates courts. Certificated Bailiffs are authorised under the Distress for Rent Rules 1988 to enforce non-payment of council tax on instruction from the relevant magistrates court.
	In the county court the most common method of enforcement, where payment of the court order is in arrears, is a warrant of execution. County court bailiffs may remove a debtor's goods for sale to satisfy the amount of the warrant, if payment otherwise is not forthcoming.
	Statistical data is not collected to show the amount recovered from the proceeds of sale of goods for debt.

Debt Recovery

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs in how many county court judgments letters were prepared and sent advising clients that a warrant for the recovery of a debt was with a court-employed enforcement agent in each year since 1997.

Christopher Leslie: If the defendant in a debt case defaults under the terms of the court order, it will be for the creditor to instruct the court to enforce the judgment. The most common form of enforcement for debt is a warrant of execution.
	As soon as the bailiff receives the warrant the defendant will be notified, in writing, that enforcement action has been instigated. The notice tells the defendant, among other things, when the amount of money should be paid to prevent any further action by the bailiff.
	The number of warrants of execution issued since 1997 is as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 1998 543,848 
			 1999 538,337 
			 2000 470,270 
			 2001 394,611 
			 2002 372,505 
			 2003 355,476

Land Registry

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what proportion of all house sales in England the Land Registry completes electronically; and what the target date is for 100 per cent. electronic conveyancing.

David Lammy: Land Registry completes the registration of all house sales in England and Wales electronically. In addition, just over 50 per cent. of pre-contract I inquiries (mainly official copies of the register and official searches) received by the Registry are processed electronically.
	Land Registry continues to extend its range of electronic services and is introducing progressively its electronic conveyancing programme. It aims to launch a pilot of a re-engineered conveyancing system in 2006. In consultation with stakeholders and other interested parties, the programme will be refined and developed and it is expected that by 2010 a large majority of house   sales in England and Wales will be conducted electronically.

Legal Aid (NHS Cases)

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of current legal aid arrangements for (a) patients and (b) patients' families in dispute with NHS trusts;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the case for extending the provision of free legal advice for (a) patients and (b) patients' families involved in formal complaints against NHS trusts.

David Lammy: Legal aid is available for clinical negligence claims, provided that the means and merits tests are passed. We are currently reviewing the present arrangements, and we will be making an announcement on the way forward shortly.

NHS Negligence Claims

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of the likely levels of compensation for deaths where the deceased has no dependants or access to conditional fee agreements by   families pursuing negligence claims against NHS trusts.

David Lammy: Where a person dies as a result of another' s negligence the Fatal Accidents Act 1976 primarily provides for compensation for the pecuniary losses of persons who were dependent on the deceased. The Act also enables the recovery of two other heads of damages, namely bereavement damages and reasonable funeral expenses. Bereavement damages are currently set at £10,000, and are available to the deceased's spouse, or if the deceased was under 18 and had never been married, to his or her parents. Access to a conditional fee agreement would have no bearing on the level of compensation awarded.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Hamas

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for   Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his assessment is of the activities of Hamas in the United Kingdom.

David Blunkett: holding answer 29 March 2004
	I have been asked to reply.
	The military wing of Hamas, Hamas-lzz al-Din al-Qassem Brigades (HIDQ) was proscribed in 2001 under the terms of the Terrorism Act 2000. However, Hamas also engages in social activities, providing welfare, medical and educational services in the Palestinian Occupied Territories. The group is not formally represented in the United Kingdom, but supporters are involved in fundraising and political activity on its behalf. Any allegations of illegal activity are and will be investigated by the appropriate authorities.

Immigration Appeals

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date the High Commission in Islamabad and UK Visas sent to the Home Office all papers relating to the appeal of Mr. S. M., husband of Mrs. S. K. of Aylesbury (decision maker's reference 643686; Gerrys/Fedex case number 90083389; appeal reference 90063159; GV100/86120); and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mullin: On 5 April UKvisas replied to the hon. Member's letter of 19 February advising when the appeal papers for this case were sent to the Home Office. However, I will shortly write to the hon. Member to advise further.

Nigeria

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Nigerian Government regarding the violence against Christians in the state of Plateau.

Chris Mullin: We are concerned about the violence which has affected all communities in Plateau State. We remain in close touch with the Nigerian authorities. Officials from the British High Commission in Abuja recently visited Plateau State and met Christian and Muslim leaders and victims. We have emphasised to the parties and the State Government our conviction that dialogue between Christians and Muslims is the best way to create understanding and mutual tolerance. Coventry Cathedral's Centre for Peace and Reconciliation is active in Plateau State. We support and have helped fund their work.

Sudan

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts regarding the EU-led peacekeeping force for Sudan; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mullin: The UN Department for Peacekeeping Operations is planning for a UN peace support operation once a comprehensive peace agreement is in place in Sudan. We are in close contact with the UN on this matter. There are no plans for this peace support operation to be EU-led.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Energy Costs

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on how he plans to implement his policy of using public expenditure to reduce the costs of electricity to business.

Barry Gardiner: The proposed intervention is part of the continuing drive by Government to reduce the higher electricity costs paid by Northern Ireland businesses in order to improve their competitiveness. The objective is to bring about an average reduction in electricity prices across the business sector of 10 per cent. below the levels they would otherwise have been.
	The proposal is designed to address an element of the legacy costs which followed the 1992 privatisation of the Northern Ireland electricity supply industry. In particular, the intention is to remove the ongoing financial obligation on Northern Ireland Electricity plc (NIE) arising from the restructuring of the original Ballylumford power station generation contract. The cost of meeting this obligation is currently passed on to the electricity consumers as a Public Service Obligation (PSO) charge.
	Subject to the necessary State aid clearance, the proposed Government intervention would be provided to NIE to offset the equivalent cost to the company of   meeting this obligation. The full benefit of the intervention would, in turn, be passed on by suppliers to   business customers through a reduction in their electricity bills.

Gas Prices

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will meet with the Centrica Company to discuss the effects that the proposed rise in retail gas prices will have on Northern Ireland's consumers; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: Following my meeting with Phoenix Natural Gas on 8 April 2004, the company agreed to suspend its proposed gas price increase. I also met with Centrica on 19 April 2004 when I emphasised the importance of the natural gas industry to Northern Ireland and asked that all parties work together to resolve the various issues and thus secure the long-term future of the industry.

Gas Supply Industry

David Trimble: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment to ensure that a long-term agreement is reached between the Northern Ireland Authority for Energy Regulation and the Phoenix gas company to ensure long-term stability in the gas market; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: Phoenix Natural Gas and the Northern Ireland Authority for Energy Regulation have been engaged in lengthy and detailed discussions about possible licence amendments aimed at achieving long-term stability in charges and rates of return on assets. While my Department has no formal role in this process, I have made clear to both parties the importance which I attach to an early resolution of these negotiations in the interests of consumers and the future of the NI gas industry.

Gas Supply Industry

David Trimble: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to introduce competition into the natural gas industry in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: Under the terms of the regulated Phoenix Natural Gas licence, industrial and commercial gas consumers taking more than 75,000 therms a year already have the opportunity to seek alternative sources of supply. Such open competition arrangements will apply to all other consumers from 1 January 2005.

Listed Buildings

Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether ecclesiastical exemption applies to listed buildings in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: Yes, an ecclesiastical building is exempt from the controls over the demolition, alteration or extension of listed buildings, unless it is used or available for use by a minister of religion wholly or mainly as a residence from which to perform the duties of his office.

DEFENCE

Aerospace Employment

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to sustain employment in BAE Air Systems divisions.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence currently has two major programmes with BAE Systems Air Systems, for Typhoon and the Nimrod MRA4, which are supporting many thousands of jobs. Other jobs in the company are likely to be sustained by work for the Department on the Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer and the Joint Strike Fighter.

Boscombe Down

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of Boscombe Down; and what the cost of the establishment has been in each year since 1997.

Adam Ingram: Boscombe Down is included in the Long Term Partnering Agreement that has been negotiated with QinetiQ for the delivery of a long-term test and evaluation capability to the Ministry of Defence. The financial information requested is commercially sensitive and I am therefore withholding this under Exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Bradford University School of Peace Studies

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  whether other universities were invited to tender for the contract awarded to the Bradford University School of Peace Studies by the Ministry of Defence;
	(2)  if he will place in the Library the draft syllabus presented by the Bradford University School of Peace Studies to the Ministry of Defence before the training contract was signed;
	(3)  what inquiries were made into the practical military and peacekeeping experience of Bradford University School of Peace Studies staff before the awarding of a Ministry of Defence contract; and what the results were;
	(4)  what reason Bradford University's School of Peace Studies has been selected to teach UK soldiers about conflict resolution; whether this decision was taken at ministerial level; and what the overall cost will be.

Adam Ingram: Bradford University is one of nine Universities recently awarded contracts todeliver the Armed Forces' University Short Course Programme to Service personnel. Contract advertisements were placed in major bulletins, such as the Ministry of Defence's Contracts Bulletin and other appropriate media, and fourteen Universities tendered for elements of the programme, which delivers a range of 44 different courses.
	Bradford University's Department of Peace Studies successfully tendered for four courses from the programme. All bids for courses were subjected to detailed technical evaluation against key criteria, including the academic experience of the relevant institution. Contracts were awarded on the basis of fair and open competition to the best overall bidder.
	The contract award did not require a ministerial decision since these are replacement contracts for existing arrangements. The decision was taken by the three Service sponsors, Training Group Defence Agency for the RAF, Army Training and Recruitment Agency and Naval Recruitment and Training Agency.
	The overall cost of the Conflict Resolution course will depend on the actual uptake of the course across the five year period, but will not exceed £125K.
	The MOD's prospectus for the University Short Course Programme 2004–05 is currently being prepared and a copy will be placed in the Library of the House once it has been published. This is likely to be in the Summer.

Civilian Deaths

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Government will pay compensation to the dependants of civilians killed by UK military action in (a) Afghanistan and (b) Iraq.

Adam Ingram: In Iraq, payments are made in accordance with Section 6 of Coalition Provisional Authority Order Number 17. This requires claims to be dealt with by the Parent State of the person whose activities are alleged to have caused the loss, in accordance with the national laws of that Parent State. Hence, each claim is treated on its merit according to English Law.
	In Afghanistan, no formal compensation payments have been made.

Correspondence

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he proposes to reply in full to the letters of 10 March and 6 April of the hon. Member for Woking concerning Warrant Officer 2 Grieves reference D/US of S/IC 0928/04/L.

Ivor Caplin: I replied to the hon. Gentleman on 20 April.

Defence Medical Centre (Birmingham)

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total planned cost of the Defence Medical Centre at Birmingham is; and what savings have been identified from its establishment.

Ivor Caplin: We are currently exploring, in consultation with industry, a number of options for the development of domestic accommodation and the move of all remaining medical training and other functions to Birmingham. Planned costs and potential savings remain subject to evaluation of, and final decisions on, the various options.

Equipment Purchases

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of table 2 from the National Audit Office report Operation Telic—United Kingdom Operations in Iraq, annotated to show the management group by which the equipment was acquired.

Geoff Hoon: A copy of table 2 from the National Audit Office report Operation Telic—United Kingdom Operations in Iraq, annotated with the relevant Integrated Project Teams, has been placed in the Library today.

Equipment Purchases

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which of his Department's management groups purchased equipment under the urgent operational requirements procedure in financial year 2002–03; and what the value was of (a) that equipment and (b) equipment subsequently disposed of.

Geoff Hoon: The Integrated Project Teams that procured equipment under urgent operational requirement (UOR) arrangements in financial year 2002–03 are shown in the following list. The costs of UORs in 2002–03 totalled some £290 million (of which the capital investment element amounted to around £220 million). Decisions on which UORs will be retained in service are being taken as part of this year's, and subsequent, planning rounds. Data on the value of disposals does not distinguish between equipment purchased routinely and equipment purchased under UOR arrangements.
	Integrated Project Teams that procured UOR equipment in Financial Year 2002–03:
	Air Launched Munitions
	Airfield Operations Systems
	Air Support
	Avionics
	Above Water Warfare Systems
	Battlefield Infrastructure
	C-17 Aircraft
	Close Armour
	Communication and Support Measures
	Chinook
	Communications Messaging
	Combat Supply Equipment
	Command Support Information Systems
	Command Support Vehicles (Heavy)
	Command Support Vehicles (Light)
	Defence Clothing
	Dismounted Close Combat
	Defence Fixed Networks
	Defence General Munitions
	Defence Information Structures
	Engineer System Support
	Engineer Vehicles and Plants
	Field Artillery System Support
	Future Artillery Weapon Systems
	Gazelle Helicopter
	Harrier
	Helicopter Engines
	Hercules
	Information and Communication Systems Support
	Infra-Red Countermeasures
	Logistic Applications
	Land Electronic Warfare
	Light Armoured Support Systems
	Landing Platform Dock
	Lynx
	Military Airborne Communications and Homing System
	Mine Countermeasures Equipment
	Mine Countermeasures Vessels
	Marine Electrical Systems
	Mobility
	Medical Supply Agency
	Nuclear Biological Chemical
	Naval Electronic Warfare
	Nimrod
	Royal Fleet Auxiliary support
	Sensor Avionics and Navigation Systems
	SATCOM Acquisition Team
	Sea King Helicopter
	Sentry
	Successor Identification Friend or Foe
	Strategic Terrestrial Radio Systems
	Tactical Data Links
	Theatre and Formation Communication Systems
	Tank Systems Support
	Tornado
	Technical Services
	Tactical Unmanned Air Vehicles
	Workshop Support Services

Eurofighter Typhoon

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to conclude his discussions with BAE Systems about the price and quantity of Eurofighter Typhoons that will form Tranche II of the Project.

Adam Ingram: Discussions with BAE Systems regarding the order for Tranche II Typhoons are ongoing. The quantity that will form Tranche II of the project remains 236, of which 89 will be for the Royal Air Force; this is not under discussion.

Eurofighter Typhoon

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what issues prevent him from ordering Tranche II of the Eurofighter Typhoon Contract.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 February 2004, (Official Report, column 1634W), to my hon. Friend the Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice). The negotiations are still ongoing and must be concluded before Tranche II can be ordered.

Ferries

Jackie Lawrence: To ask the Secretary of State for   Defence how many roll-on roll-off ferries his Department has commissioned since 1997; and how many are in service.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 21 April 2004
	The Ministry of Defence has commissioned six Roll-On/Roll-Off vessels since 1997 and all these vessels are currently in service.

Harrier GR7

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for how much longer he expects to retain the Harrier GR7 in service.

Adam Ingram: The GR7 Harrier is being upgraded to GR9 standard over the next five years. Current assumptions are that the Harrier GR9 will remain in operational service with the Royal Air Force until the middle of the next decade.

Jaguar

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the RAF Jaguar Aircraft.

Adam Ingram: Based on current plans the Jaguar fleet will be withdrawn from Royal Air Force service by 2009.

Land Releases (Hampshire)

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for   Defence if he will make a statement on his Department's current programme for land releases in Hampshire.

Ivor Caplin: Sites currently scheduled for release in Hampshire include:
	DM Dean Hill Main Site and adjacent land
	Site A Monxton Road, Andover
	Daedalus Conservation Area in Broom Way
	Property at frontage of DM Gosport in Fareham Road
	Aldershot—Burger King Site
	Aldershot—Ski slope site
	Farnborough—Queensgate site
	Farnborough—Former Officers Mess
	Farnborough—Civil enclave
	Farnborough—Garages at Lancaster Way
	Farnborough—Woodland at Norris Bridge
	Farham—Woodland at Old Park Lane
	In addition, as I announced on 23 March 2004, the Ministry of Defence is undertaking further work to examine where estate rationalisation might be possible, with the aim of consolidating defence activity at a smaller number of more densely utilised locations in order to achieve the optimum use of land and facilities. This on-going work covers the whole of our estate in Great Britain, and takes into account existing relocation studies that have already been announced.
	The Department is currently at an early stage of this wider review and each proposal that emerges from this work will be subject to full consultation in the normal way. No decisions have yet been reached on any further sites in Hampshire.

Qinetiq

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what provisions were included in the transfer of Defence Evaluation and Research Agency assets to QinetiQ for clawback in respect of development land sales; and what sums are expected to be clawed back in respect of the sale by QinetiQ of the former MoD Longcross site at Chertsey.

Ivor Caplin: All of the freehold sites transferred to QinetiQ at Vesting of the Company were subject to a clawback agreement.
	The total receipts from the disposal of the Chertsey site, of which the Longcross test track site forms a part, are unlikely to be fully realised for several years and it is therefore difficult to anticipate what sums, if any, will accrue to MOD from the clawback provisions.
	Approximately the first £50 million of receipts from this site secures a loan made by MOD to QinetiQ, and this sum will therefore be paid back to MOD as QinetiQ receives the sums from the purchaser.

RAF Bases

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of (a) RAF Coltishall and (b) RAF Wittering.

Adam Ingram: On current plans the Royal Air Force will have no continuing requirement for RAF Coltishall once the Jaguar aircraft goes out of service.
	RAF Wittering is one of the stations under consideration as part of the review into the future basing of Air Combat Service Support Units and minor units. I will be making a written statement on this review shortly.

Suez Medal

Peter Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how long on average it has taken from a claim to an award of the Canal Zone Medal.

Ivor Caplin: It is not possible to calculate the average time taken from a claim to an award of a Canal Zone Medal. However, as at 16 April the four single Service medal offices had received 37,512 applications. Many arrived following the Prime Minister's announcement on 11 June 2003 that a medal would be instituted and a large backlog had built up by 23 October 2003 when I announced that medals would now be available. 6,700 medals and/or clasps have been despatched to veterans or their families. The medal offices are currently assessing applications received on the following dates.
	
		
			 Service Medal Office Applications received 
		
		
			 Royal Navy 8 July 2003 
			 Royal Marines 6 February 2004 
			 Army 31 August 2003 
			 RAF 4 November 2003

Wind Farms

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many objections were made by his Department against pre-applications to build onshore wind farms in each of the last five years; and how many pre-applications for onshore wind farms were made in each of these years.

Ivor Caplin: In the period 1999 to 2003 the Ministry of   Defence objected to a total of 796 pre-planning applications for onshore wind power projects.
	
		
			  Proposals Objections 
		
		
			 1999(36) 65 39 
			 2000(36) 158 51 
			 2001 333 141 
			 2000 985 398 
			 2001 685 (37)167 
		
	
	(36) There was no formal wind farm safeguarding team within the Department prior to August 2000, and statistics for 1999 and part of 2000 are, therefore, based on the best data currently available.
	(37) 260 awaiting resolution.
	Many pre-applications are made by developers purely speculatively, and there is no data currently available to show how many pre-applications to which the Department does not state an objection are actually followed through. Where the Department does raise an objection MOD officials are always willing to work with the developer in order to determine whether a mutually acceptable solution can be found to enable a development to go ahead.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Disabled Workers

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the measures introduced to improve the working conditions of disabled workers in Crosby over the last seven years.

Maria Eagle: We have a number of measures in place nationally to help improve conditions for disabled people at work, as well as measures to improve their access to services generally. None of these are specific to Crosby, but all are available to disabled people who live and work there.
	From 1996, the employment provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act required most employers of 20 or more staff not to discriminate against, and to   make reasonable adjustments for, disabled job applicants or employees; in December 1998, we reduced this threshold to 15 employees. From October this year, the small employer exemption will be removed and most currently excluded occupations, such as police officers, fire-fighters, and partners in business partnerships will   be brought within the scope of the Disability Discrimination Act employment provisions.
	Jobcentre Plus runs a number of specialist programmes providing help for disabled people, including New Deal for Disabled People, Workstep, Access to Work, the Job Introduction Scheme, and Work Preparation. All these programmes provide practical advice and support to disabled people and their employers to help overcome work related obstacles resulting from disability. Since 1997–98 there have been year on year increases in both numbers helped and programme spend.
	To help people access appropriate help, Jobcentre Plus has established a network of Disability Service Teams. The teams are made up of Disability Employment Advisors, Access to Work Advisers and Occupational Psychologists; their services are accessed through local Jobcentres.
	Since April 2003, disabled people in work have been receiving financial support through the Working Tax Credit. This is available if a person is working an average of at least 16 hours per week (self-employed or for an employer); and have a disability which puts them at a disadvantage in getting a job. 70,000 families (including over 32,000 adults without children) are benefiting from the disability element within the Working Tax Credit, compared to 38,000 who benefited from the old Disabled Person's Tax Credit.

External Consultants

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place in the Library a list of the projects on which his Department employed external consultants in each of the last six years.

Maria Eagle: The information requested for each of the last six years for all projects is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The following table provides a list of current modernisation projects that have employed external consultants. It should be noted that project details may alter as they pass through the project lifecycle.
	
		Current DWP Modernisation Projects employing External Consultants
		
			 Project name Brief description of the project 
		
		
			 Child Support Reform This project will implement the Child Support Reforms, involving the transformation of the existing CSA business processes and structures, through the introduction of a new IT system that supports new rules, legislation and operating model. 
			   
			 Customer Management System This system is an information gathering business process for working age IS/JSA/IB benefit claims. It will allow information supplied by the customer to be gathered electronically by staff, improving efficiency and customer service. Staff will be able to check information supplied against that already held. The system will also support the arrangement of work-focused interviews. 
			   
			 Debt Management The Debt Programme introduces a new organisational structure based on 10 Debt Centres and a Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) package to provide new Management Information systems, combined with increased focus on the management and ultimately reduction of debt stock. 
			   
			 Digital Office Infrastructure (formally Early Office Infrastructure) DOI aims to implement a modern IT infrastructure platform across the Department allowing access to the internet and intranet and modern business software. 
			   
			 New Tax Credits This project supports the implementation of new tax credits by Inland Revenue by putting a tax credits service in place for DWP customers (principally through Jobcentre Plus) and ensuring that necessary amendments are made to DWP benefits. 
			   
			 Payment Modernisation Programme The Payment Modernisation Programme aims to establish direct payment into a bank, building society or post office card account as the normal, convenient method of payment for all customers. This includes those who wish to collect their money from the Post Office. (The national banking infrastructure was successfully implemented in April 2003 through the Universal Bank project). 
			   
			 Pension Credit This project successfully introduced pension credit in October 2003 and aims to increase the take-up of pension credit. It will deliver new IT functionality to existing DWP systems, and associated business products (e.g. training, staff guidance, customer notifications). 
			   
			 Pensions Transformation Programme This Programme will transform the Pension Service bringing together business and IT change in ways that improve customer and staff satisfaction and deliver efficiencies. 
			   
			 Resource Management System This programme will provide modernised HR, financial and procurement functions for DWP staff. These systems will introduce significant business process change, enabling Departmental resources to be managed more effectively. 
			   
			 Pensions Forecasting We have introduced a modernised IT system to support the growing numbers of combined forecasts we are producing. 
			   
			 ISCS/JSAPS Modernisation The key objectives are to improve interfaces with other DWP systems to reduce fraud and error; reduce costly clerical interventions by improving work management systems; improve customer service by enabling staff to view on-line system generated letters; provide a modern user interface for ISCS and JSAPS. 
			   
			 'Focus' Human Resources Modernisation Programme The Human Resources Modernisation Programme includes: 
			  HR Service Centre Modernisation to restructure the existing HR Service Centres and consolidating Jobcentre Plus HR administration; 
			  design and delivery of a range of technologies required for the modernisation of learning and development over three-year period; 
			  a strategy to ensure delivery of effective leadership development and education to senior managers and those identified as potential leaders; 
			  review of the current payroll system to ensure it is capable of delivering changes to the DWP reward strategy. 
			 Customer Information System The Project will deliver a database of key customer information to be shared across DWP. The database will complement information currently available in the Department's key customer information systems, i.e. Personal Details Computer System and Departmental Central Index, and become their replacement. The Project will use cost-effective modern technology with minimum impact on the existing systems. 
			   
			 Managing Core Systems Estate The objective of this project is to undertake, and where appropriate plan the activities necessary to maximise the effectiveness of the legacy systems in future. 
			   
			 Working Age IS/IT Strategy Programme (formally IT Development Programme) This programme made up of a series of individual projects, three of which are: 
			  Better Off Calculator—This project will support the Government's focus on getting people back into work by illustrating how they would be better off working. It will be available to Jobcentre Plus staff, other DWP users and to citizens as a self-service package. 
			  Assessment Engine—The Assessment Engine will automate (as fully as possible) the assessment of income support and other benefits. 
			  Entitlement Management—This will increase the level of automation of the entitlement management processes reducing or eliminating the need for clerical intervention. 
			   
			 Disability and Carers Service Change Programme This is an over-arching change programme that brings together a range of infrastructure projects, covering process, IT and telephony changes, into a single coherent programme. The programme will design and deliver changes to business processes and Information Technology (IT) and support ongoing changes to the business organisation and telephony to reflect the emerging DCS Business Model. 
		
	
	Note:
	This list is based on the best possible match between information from our systems to monitor DWP Modernisation projects and separate systems to monitor all use of consultancy across DWP. The list is not complete because a list of all projects is not available and differences in recording the names of projects in the different systems makes matching between them difficult.

Incapacity Benefit

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many (a) men and (b) women receiving incapacity benefit payments made on mental health grounds in relation to (i) depression, (ii) stress, (iii) anxiety and (iv) behavioural problems received these payments for longer than five years in each year since 1997; and if he will break these payments down by region;
	(2)  how many (a) men and (b) women receiving incapacity benefit payments made on mental health grounds in relation to (i) anxiety and (ii) behavioural problems received these payments for longer than (A) one month, (B) six months, (C) a year, (D) two years and (E) five years in each year since 1997; and if he will break these payments down by region.

Maria Eagle: The information has been placed in the Library.

Incapacity Benefit

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) men and (b) women receiving incapacity benefit made on mental health grounds in each year since 1997 in relation to (i) stress, (ii) behavioural issues, (iii) anxiety and (iv) depression previously received (A) income-based and (B) contribution-based jobseeker's allowance.

Maria Eagle: The information is in the table.
	
		Incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance commencements each year since 1997 by diagnosis, and whether they previously received JSA
		
			  Year to November 
			  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 Men
			 All IB/SDA commencements with a diagnosis of depression 56.2 51.7 55.3 58.6 59.7 59.7 61.9 
			 of which the following were:
			 Previously receiving JSA (income based) 23.1 18.7 20.5 20.9 21.8 22.3 22.6 
			 Previously receiving JSA (contributory) 3.5 3.5 4.1 3.8 3.8 4.2 4.6 
			 Previously receiving JSA (IB and C)(38) 1.0 0.8 1.2 1.0 0.9 1.4 1.3 
			 
			 All IB/SDA commencements with a diagnosis of stress/anxiety 39.1 35.0 35.4 36.3 36.5 35.5 33.9 
			 of which the following were:
			 Previously receiving JSA (income based) 15.2 12.1 12.8 13.7 13.2 11.6 11.8 
			 Previously receiving JSA (contributory) 2.3 2.1 2.2 1.7 1.9 2.1 2.3 
			 Previously receiving JSA (IB and C)(38) 0.6 0.6 0.6 (39)0.4 0.6 0.6 0.6 
			 
			 All IB/SDA commencements with a diagnosis of behavioural issues (39)0.1 — — (39)0.1 — — — 
			 of which the following were:
			 Previously receiving JSA (income based) — — — — — — — 
			 Previously receiving JSA (contributory) — — — — — — — 
			 Previously receiving JSA (IB and C)(38) — — — — — — — 
			 Women
			 All IB/SDA commencements with a diagnosis of depression 51.7 51.4 51.1 54.3 57.2 59.3 56.5 
			 of which the following were:
			 Previously receiving JSA (income based) 11.6 10.3 11.2 12.1 12.2 12.0 12.4 
			 Previously receiving JSA (contributory) 2.7 2.3 2.2 2.4 2.4 2.9 2.9 
			 Previously receiving JSA (IB and C)(38) 0.5 (39)0.3 (39)0.2 (39)0.3 (39)0.2 (39)0.2 (39)0.3 
			 
			 All IB/SDA commencements with a diagnosis of stress/anxiety 33.8 30.8 30.8 32.7 32.2 31.6 30.2 
			 of which the following were:
			 Previously receiving JSA (income based) 7.4 5.8 6.7 6.2 6.3 6.0 5.8 
			 Previously receiving JSA (contributory) 2.0 1.8 1.5 1.8 1.4 1.6 1.7 
			 Previously receiving JSA (IB and C)(38) (39)0.2 (39)0.1 (39)0.2 (39)0.1 (39)0.2 (39)0.1 (39)0.1 
			 
			 All IB/SDA commencements with a diagnosis of behavioural issues 2.9 3.0 2.7 2.4 2.4 2.6 2.2 
			 of which the following were:
			 Previously receiving JSA (income based) (39)0.3 (39)0.3 (39)0.3 (39)0.2 (39)0.2 (39)0.1 (39)0.3 
			 Previously receiving JSA(contributory) (39)0.2 (39)0.1 (39)0.2 (39)0.2 (39)0.2 (39)0.1 (39)0.1 
			 Previously receiving JSA (IB and C)(38) — — — — — — — 
		
	
	(38) Analysis considers whether or not an individual has received JSA in the year prior to commencement of their receipt of IB/SDA. Some individuals have received both JSA(IB) and JSA(C) in the year previous to their receipt of IB/SDA.
	(39) Figures are subject to a high degree of sampling error and should only be used as a guide.
	Notes:
	1. Figures are shown in thousands and rounded to the nearest hundred.
	2. These figures have been updated to include late notified commencements. All figures back to 1995 have been revised, and may be subject to further change; figures prior to 2002 are subject to minor changes; figures for 2002 include fewer late notifications than previous quarters and will be subject to greater change in future; figures for the latest quarter do not include any late notifications and are subject to major changes in future quarters. For illustration purposes, total commencements for November 2002 increased by 15 per cent. in the year following their initial release.
	3. Figures may not sum due to rounding.
	4. It is not possible to separate out the stress and anxiety categories.
	5. All diagnoses are coded using the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition, published by the World Health Organisation.
	Source:
	DWP—IAD Information Centre, 5 per cent. samples.

Incapacity Benefit

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the expansion of the specialist personal adviser service to support longer-term incapacity benefit recipients announced in the Budget will be available (a) for the Jobcentre Plus pathways to work pilots and (b) to all New Deal for Disabled People programmes.

Maria Eagle: In his recent Budget statement, my right   hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced new measures to be piloted in the seven Jobcentre Plus Pathways to Work areas.
	We will provide three additional mandatory work-focused interviews (WFIs) for those incapacity benefits claimants who started a claim in the two years before the pilots started, excluding the most severely incapacitated cases. These interviews will be designed to identify those who retain an interest in getting back to work and to provide effective support to enable them to do that. In addition, we will offer a new job preparation premium of £20 per week, payable for a maximum of 26 weeks to encourage participation in relevant activity that supports a return to work. These measures will be brought in from early next year and will be fully evaluated.
	Existing IB recipients attending WFIs will be offered access to New Deal for Disabled People as part of the range of provision currently available in Pathways to Work areas.

Pension Credit

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the categories of pension credit recipient who are entitled to a level of guarantee credit in excess of the standard level.

Malcolm Wicks: The guarantee credit provides, or contributes towards, a guaranteed minimum level of income of £105.45 a week for single people aged 60 and over (£160.95 for couples). These standard amounts may be more for people who have caring responsibilities, are severely disabled or have certain housing costs.
	For some people who were getting transitional protection in their income support or jobseeker's allowance before they started to get pension credit a transitional extra amount may be included.

State Second Pension

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions from what date entitlement to the State Second Pension will accrue on a flat-rate basis; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: No decision has been taken as yet regarding the date from which State Second Pension may begin to accrue on a flat-rate basis.